Florian Lejeune insists that Newcastle supporters will see the best of him next season following a tough season of ‘transition’ on Tyneside.
The French centre-back endured a frustrating wait as his £8.7 million move from Eibar in the summer was held up due to paperwork and wasn’t finalised until early July, before his Premier League debut against Tottenham was prematurely cut short by a shocking scissor challenge from Harry Kane.
Lejeune spent the next two months on the sidelines whilst Kane went unpunished, returning to the side in the 2-2 draw with Southampton in mid-October and giving away a penalty that cost Newcastle three points.
It went from bad to worse for the 26-year-old as Rafa Benitez’s side endured a nine-match winless streak before he picked up a foot injury during training in December that sidelined him until a surprise recall in the 1-0 victory over Manchester United a fornight ago.
And Lejeune feels he is beginning to adapt to the physical nature of the Premier League, stating that participating in a full pre-season programme will bring out the best in him next term.
“Next season I’ll be able to approach games in a better way. I’ll have had more training,” he told the Chronicle.
“I’m progressing all of the time and it is true that this year for me is a transition year. But in saying that, I am really confident I will improve week by week.
“This season has been complicated and has been from the start for me. Mainly it’s down to the fact it is a high calibre league and it’s very intense.”
