One player was almost forgotten amid the comings and goings at Newcastle United this summer.
Out went Eddie Howe along with Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes and Kieran Trippier, while the club appointed Mathias Jaissle as head coach and recruited eight senior players.
There could well have been another departure.
But first, think back to the 2020/21 campaign, Steve Bruce’s second full season in charge of the team.
One player, in particular, enlivened the second half of that campaign following a mid-season arrival on loan.
Things had seemingly been unravelling at Christmas. A strong Newcastle XI was beaten in a Carabao Cup quarter-final by much-changed Brentford, then a Championship club.
I remember thinking that Bruce was fortunate that the game had been played behind closed doors due to the coronavirus pandemic, and he was seemingly facing “tough questions” following the defeat.
Bruce went on to anger fans by talking about what he saw as “histrionics” following that behind-closed-doors loss in west London.
That quote, delivered after a Boxing Day defeat at Manchester City was eye-opening, particularly as Bruce had said that the team should accept whatever criticism came its way following the cup exit.
Enter Joe Willock. The midfielder joined on a half-season loan from Arsenal in the mid-season transfer window – and gave the team a new dimension. He seemed to be able to effortlessly glide up the pitch and find spaces in the final third.
By the time it got to May, he had really got into his stride, scoring in seven successive Premier League appearances and equalling a club record set by Alan Shearer.
It was quite a feat, his final goal of the campaign coming in a season-ending 2-0 win over Fulham in front of then-owner Mike Ashley, and that afternoon at Craven Cottage underlined his potential.
Time and again, he drove up the pitch with the ball, creating openings for himself and his team-mates.
He joined on a permanent deal that summer, and went on to play his part in the historic Carabao Cup win and two Champions League campaigns.
Yet this summer, the only talk of Willock was of him possibly leaving, with the 27-year-old having spent more and more time on the bench.
There was reported interest from Besiktas, but a move did not materialise before the September 1 transfer deadline.
When England questions were off the table for Elliot Anderson
Questions about the senior England team were off the table a little over a year ago when I sat down with Elliot Anderson.
A “maturing” Willock, instead, has been given a “new lease of life” by Jaissle, and he took his goal tally for the season to two with the only goal of the game in Tuesday’s Carabao Cup win over Millwall.
Speaking to journalists this week, he said: “I feel valued. It is like my fifth year at the club and I am really maturing in the way I think towards the team and getting older.
“There are a lot of young players coming in. It’s a different role for me this season. I want to help others, and push on in my career as well.
“The new manager has given me a new lease of life, I am really happy he’s here and happy working under him.
“He is a really young exciting coach, and we’re all learning a lot from him. It’s a good time to be a Newcastle player.”
Willock, in the final year of his contract, is set to earn a one-year extension to his deal, according to the Daily Mail, along with Jacob Murphy, whose own United career was seemingly saved by a night in Morecambe six years ago.
I interviewed Willock a couple of years ago during the club’s pre-season tour of Japan, and he revealed how his mobile phone screensaver was motivating him.
Asked if he wanted to break into the senior England squad, the former Under-21 international said: “100%, I’ve got my screensaver on my phone as my aspirations for the season, and to play for my country is one of the biggest aspirations I have.”
Willock will have a new set of ambitions this season.
And what is clear is that he is back in his stride – and capable of bringing many more goals to Newcastle.
A big deal for Hall
Guimaraes, Tonali and Gordon, clearly, saw their futures as lying elsewhere after the final ball was kicked last season.
Lewis Hall, though, sees a long-term future for himself at St James’ Park.
The 22-year-old has signed a new deal at the club amid interest from Manchester United. The contract will invariably not stop speculation in future transfer windows, but the show of commitment from the boyhood United fan is welcome.
“I obviously have a family connection with the club, which is incredibly important to us all,” said Hall. “One of the main reasons I play is to make my family proud, and I know how much it means to them to watch me playing for Newcastle United.”
Hall, a dynamic, attack-minded left-back, is perfect for Jaissle’s new-look Newcastle team.
And United fans love watching him play too.
IMHO…So far….Willock deserves more credit than he’s getting on here from your fellow writers.