Eddie Howe says that he is seeing passing skills he has never experienced before in football when it comes to Jonjo Shelvey.
The former Liverpool and England man has been entrusted with the captain's armband under Howe after Jamaal Lascelles lost his place in the starting line-up. And Howe feels that Shelvey is playing some of the best football of his career at the moment.
Howe said: "Certainly since I have come in I have seen a real maturity in Jonjo. I have seen somebody who is very, very focused on his football. He wants to do very well for himself and for the team. He is a huge talent.
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"His technical talent is huge. He has an array of passing that I have not experienced before. He can see - and deliver things - not just see, that not many players can. I think defensively he has been outstanding for us.
"The amount of times he has put himself in the right position to stop a dangerous moment or transition back or sprint back or clear a dangerous ball for us has been huge."
Howe feels that the 30-year-old midfielder is also showing a different side of his game - one that has been crucial during United's pull away from the danger zone. Howe added: "A big compliment to him on that. Because I don't think that has necessarily been his trademark in his game previously. So I think the maturity on the defensive side has definitely been a big positive for us."
Shelvey's first game under Howe's watch, when he was in the stands at Brighton for a 1-1 draw in November, featured a free-kick that left many fans baffled. After Robert Sanchez had been dismissed the onus went on to outfield player Lewis Dunk.
After Newcastle had a free-kick in the last seconds of stoppage time, Shelvey opted to cross rather than shoot. Was it a moment that others merely couldn't see?
Howe replied: "That is a difficult one! "I can't ever put my mind in Jonjo's mind.
"But possibly he had seen something different. I can't compliment him enough for what he has given us and me and my time."
