Alan Shearer enjoys godlike status around Tyneside following the years of service he gave to his boyhood club and the Premier League’s all-time top-scorer has had kind words to say about one particular Magpies player.
Newcastle United skipper Jamaal Lascelles has been picked out for particular praise from the Magpies legend, who claims that the young defender treats the armband with the same respect and class that he did during his own spell at St. James’ Park.
Lascelles has certainly led from the front this season, with the centre-back joint-top of Newcastle’s scoring charts with two Premier League goals, and Shearer stated he was left with a good impression after meeting him for the first-time.
Speaking to BBC Sport, he said:
“I had not met Jamaal Lascelles before I interviewed him for this week’s Premier League Show but now I can see why Rafael Benitez made him Newcastle’s captain. It is a job that I have been lucky enough to have done myself, so I understand the pressure and the responsibility that comes with the armband.”
“Jamaal clearly does too. He sees being Newcastle skipper as an honour, just like I did, and he definitely has the kind of character you need to be the leader at my old club. It is a lot to take on at any age but he deserves even more credit when you consider he is the youngest captain in the top flight.”
“He wears his heart on his sleeve and leads by example when he is out on the pitch and he has the same approach when he is dealing with issues in the dressing room too. The training ground bust-up he had with Mo Diame last month, and particularly the way it was resolved, is a great example of that.”
“So is the time he spoke up at half-time of Newcastle’s defeat at Southampton in April 2016, when he was not even a regular in the team. Jamaal explained why he is not afraid to say what he thinks if he feels it is for the good of the team, and that is typical of his whole approach. He just sees it as part of the job of being captain – which is exactly right,”
