Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer has included Magpies centre back Jamaal Lascelles in his Premier League Team of the Week.
The Geordie icon revealed the news on his personal Instagram account, picking the Newcastle captain after a dominant defensive display in the 1-0 win over Leicester City last Friday.
The Foxes display represented a welcome return to form for a player who has been plagued by inconsistency throughout a tricky campaign for him personally.
However, he was superb at the King Power Stadium, marshalling the defence magnificently and helping ensure Ayoze Perez’s strike was enough for Newcastle to claim all three points.
OPINION
This is well deserved recognition from a Newcastle legend for Lascelles after his performance on Friday. He’s struggled a bit recently, and has probably only been kept in the team because of Florian Lejeune’s injury, but he was tremendous against Leicester. He showed how good he is on his day, as physical and quick as any centre back in the Premier League. It’s easy to forget that Lascelles is still just 25 years of age, making what he’s already achieved in the top flight all the more remarkable. He’s not had it easy this term, and that’s due to his own inconsistent performances, but he remains a top talent who is still a long way from his prime. He’s only going to get better and grow into a truly top class centre half. His display on Friday was another reminder of how good he can be and how important he is to Rafael Benitez’s side.
