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Eddie Howe says Newcastle have a £10m player who makes things ‘look easy’
Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has sung Nick Pope’s praises ahead of the Magpies taking on Manchester United on Saturday night.
The Newcastle boss, speaking to , says the 31-year-old Magpies goalkeeper is a “massive” player who sometimes makes big saves “look easy”.
Newcastle signed Pope for a reported in 2022, and he has gone on to shine for the Magpies, helping them enjoy a stratospheric rise to the upper echelons of the game.
The 6ft 5in stopper has made competitive appearances for the St James’ Park outfit. He has kept 25 clean sheets and conceding less than a goal per game.
Pope was on top form in midweek as Newcastle controversially drew 1-1 with Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.
He kept the Magpies ahead for most of the game with some superb saves, and couldn’t do anything against Kylian Mbappe’s penalty right at the end.
Newcastle star Nick Pope has been a ‘massive player’ for Newcastle United
Now, Pope and his teammates will look to produce a performance of similar quality against a Manchester United side looking for a fourth straight Premier League win.
“Since he has been here he has made big saves, he is that type of goalkeeper,” Howe told TNT Sports ahead of Saturday evening’s fixture against Erik ten Hag’s side.
“Sometimes he makes them look easy which is a huge compliment to him because some of the saves have been remarkable. He has been a massive player.”
There has been a growing focus on goalkeepers being able to play out from the back, but Howe says Pope’s biggest strength is shot stopping.
“Maybe an under-rated quality these days but it is the most important thing for me in a goalkeeper, their ability to keep the ball out of the net,” he continued. “That’s what they are paid to do.
“He is very good at that, that is his biggest strength. But it should be every goalkeeper’s biggest strength. When you are a kid playing in goal you want to save shots.
“Of course there are lots of other aspects to being a goalkeeper. And I think he has done very well with those as well, so he’s a big player for us.”
Pope has certainly proven a bargain for Newcastle. With over 60 Magpies appearances under his belt and counting, he’s repaid his fee many times over.