Rafa Benitez has named Newcastle United defender Paul Dummett as one of the most underrated players that he has worked with during his career in management.
Benitez was asked in a Q&A session on The Athletic website on Wednesday which player from his career is the most underappreciated by the media.
While the ex-Newcastle boss named a couple of players from his time at Liverpool, Wales international Dummett is someone who he did not shy away from praising.
“Lucas Leiva. He was a fantastic professional and very positive for the team. Pepe Reina sometimes does not get the credit he deserves, he was a very important player for us. Also Paul Dummett at Newcastle. He is very consistent and is very clever in a tactical way. He can the players around him and the fans do not always notice that,” said Benitez.
OPINION
Dummett has been a great servant for Newcastle and while it is fair to say that he has been underappreciated by the media, the fans certainly have a good idea about how key the Wales international has been for them. Newcastle have gone through a tough time lately and Dummett has always been someone to speak up in interviews and give his honest views. If the Magpies didn’t have leaders in the dressing room like the 27-year-old then there is no chance that they would have pick up a win against Tottenham on Sunday. Fans need to be thankful for players like Dummett because you know that he cares about the club and will do whatever it takes to stop them suffering a third relegation of Mike Ashley’s ownership. Benitez has named the Welshman among two top players from his time at Liverpool in Lucas and Reina. It’s time for everyone to appreciate the left-sided defender.
