OPINION
Newcastle United defender Paul Dummett is one of the club’s most important players currently but he is not constantly highlighted like some of his teammates.
The 26-year-old left-back quietly gets on with his defensive duties and protects the Magpies’ left-flank at all costs in games.
Yet perhaps due to the fact Dummett isn’t the most attack-minded full-back in the game to say the least, it’s not often he gets a goal or an assist, he finds himself an unsung hero the majority of the time.
The left-back has submitted some decent displays in his four outings so far this season especially when you consider the tough fixtures the Magpies have had and deserves a spotlight thrust upon him.
Rafa Benitez opted to rest the 26-year-old for the League Cup game against Nottingham Forest by keeping him rooted to the bench and Ciaran Clark took his place at left-back instead.
The Republic of Ireland international was clueless on the left-side of defence and was abandoned by his left-winger Kenedy who left him to struggle all by his lonesome.
Dummett regularly has to fend for himself as whether it’s Kenedy, Christian Atsu or even Jacob Murphy, the left-back finds himself with a winger in front of him who doesn’t want to pull their weight defensively.
Given that Clark struggled against a Championship outfit with no protection then it’s a quite a feat that Dummett excels in the Premier League in the same situation.
The 26-year-old also impressed in his 21 outings last season and when he was sidelined through injury, the Magpies were worse off for not having him to rely upon.
However it seems that Dummett’s ability and efforts haven’t gone unnoticed by Magpies icon Malcolm ‘Supermac’ Macdonald who gushed about him in his latest column for The Chronicle.
“Paul Dummett reminds me of my old Newcastle left-back Frank Clark – and I can’t pay him a bigger compliment than that,” wrote the 68-year-old.
“Clarkie, who won the European Fairs Cup with United and the European Cup with Nottingham Forest, was the best defensive full-back I played with.
“Defending is now a lost art for full-backs who are all judged on bombing forward like wingers but Dummett is a throw back, a player who loves defending.
“United fans didn’t take to Frank for a long while and it’s been the same with Paul, but Rafa Benitez has no doubts about what he brings to the table.”
Therefore it seems that the unsung Dummett is finally getting the spotlight he deserves put on him after a club legend like Macdonald gushed about him in a column that was mostly about the Wales international.
