Bruno Guimaraes received the Monday Night Football treatment on Sky Sports this week as Jamie Carragher and Roy Keane waxed lyrical over Newcastle United's newest hero. The Brazilian's stunning performance in the 5-1 victory over Brentford has propelled him into the national spotlight once more, with questions being asked as to whether he is the best to have ever lined up for the Magpies.
Guimaraes ' stock has done nothing but rise since he swapped Lyon for Tyneside back in January, and while some are choosing to keep their feet on the ground, many fans are starting to put Bruno in the same conversation as previous club legends.
Carragher himself knows a thing or two about Newcastle greats who have dazzled, entertained and lifted supporters off their seats at St James' Park, having had the misfortune of marking one or two of them during his Liverpool days. And the former central defender has it spot on when he says Guimaraes is having the same impact with the supporters as Geordie heroes of yesteryear, including the likes of Kevin Keegan and Alan Shearer.
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"The numbers are fantastic. But, I feel like the effect that he is having on the crowd, you go back to Kevin Keegan when he first signed, David Ginola or when Alan Shearer came in, in that effect he is uniting a club and a fanbase really," Carragher said on Sky Sports.
Guimaraes earned a slightly different comparison on talkSPORT early on Tuesday, with pundit Darren Bent reminiscing over Hatem Ben Arfa's time on Tyneside and the impact he had with the ball at his feet. Bruno doesn't look set to become a mercurial winger any time soon but is certainly proving he can play in various different roles in Eddie Howe's midfield.
"What we find out with midfield players is we put them in positions in terms of numbers and call them a six, an eight, or a ten," Carragher continued. "He feels like the type of player who could play all of those roles. In terms of playing this season, he has played as more of the deeper midfield players.
"When comparing him to midfield players from the teams in the top six, is that he is a throwback to when Roy was playing, in that he is a midfield player, he is not a sitting or attacking midfielder."
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