‘He could be a really big player’: Shearer tips Newcastle man to make a defining impact

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·16 November 2024

‘He could be a really big player’: Shearer tips Newcastle man to make a defining impact

Newcastle United have been without Dutch international defender Sven Botman because of an ACL injury he picked up last season.

The 24-year-old is now set to return to action in December, and the development will come as a major boost for the Magpies.

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He is undoubtedly the best defender at the club and he has been a key player for Newcastle since joining them in 2022 for a fee of around £35 million.

Newcastle will be hoping to push for European qualification this season and the return of Sven Botman could not have been better timed. The Magpies will need their best players fit and firing during the second half of the campaign to finish the season strongly. The Dutch international defender could make a big difference if he manages to regain his sharpness quickly.

Meanwhile, former Newcastle striker Alan Shearer has now expressed his happiness regarding the injury boost, and he feels that Botman will be a big player for Newcastle during the second half of the season.

Shearer told the Rest is Football podcast (h/t Newcastle World): “They look pretty mean again at the back. There has been no respite hardly for him [Dan Burn] and Fabian Schar because of the injuries to Botman and Lascelles. “Particularly Botman because he is a big player. He is the one that if he gets a run in the team, he is not far away, I think he is near full training, so he may be another month or five, six weeks away. “But if he can get a run in the team, he is the one that the big boys would be looking at. When you talk about Newcastle and PSR, and Bruno or Isak or whatever, he is another one. If he can get a run in the team, Botman, he could be a really big player.”

(Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP)

The Dutch international will be itching to get back on the pitch. He has had a lengthy spell on the sidelines and the 24-year-old might need some time to regain his match fitness. Newcastle will have to be patient with him and hope that he can regain his top form this season.