Noel Whelan says Saint-Maximin has been Newcastle’s ‘main player’

Newcastle United drew 1-1 with West Ham United on Saturday and missed Allan Saint-Maximin’s influence. The 24-year-old, who has been in fantastic form of late, picked up a calf injury in the Magpies’ 1-0 win over Aston Villa, so he was left out against the Hammers.

Newcastle put in a good performance at the London Stadium, producing 14 shots to West Ham’s 11 and boasting the lion’s share of possession, but they couldn’t find the breakthrough after equalising in the second half. Saint-Maxmimin could have made the difference if fit.

Noel Whelan hailed Newcastle’s efforts in the Frenchman’s absence but conceded ‘danger man’ Saint-Maximin ‘carries the side’ and has been their ‘main player’ this season.

He told Football Insider: “It’s a massive blow to have him missing but (Newcastle have) shown that there’s life without Saint-Maximin. It’s been clear for a while now that he’s the main player who carries that Newcastle side and is the real danger man for them. He’s so important to them. You’d rather have him in the side, and he’s a massive player.”

Whelan isn’t wrong. Saint-Maximin has made 25 appearances in all competitions, scoring five goals with three assists. He’s bagged two goals in his previous five games, creating 10 chances and attempting 31 dribbles.

The 24-year-old has four-and-a-half years remaining on his deal at St James’ Park, so Newcastle need not worry about losing him this summer. With the Magpies hauling themselves from the relegation zone while having lucrative resources for new players, it couldn’t be a better time to be at Newcastle.

In other news, Kevin Phillips says Newcastle should sign Eberechi Eze