If you’re looking for a player who goes under the radar at Newcastle United then look no further than Javier Manquillo.
The Spanish full-back quietly made his 100th Newcastle appearance in the one-nil win over Aston Villa and has gained a reputation as a defender who goes about his job with a cool calmness.
He doesn’t grab the headlines and isn’t the first name on any supporters’ lips when it comes to who is standing out, but the very fact that his fitness was the thing most fans were concerned with the immediate aftermath of Kieran Trippier’s injury says a lot about how far Manquillo has come.
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Manquillo like Trippier had to leave the pitch during the clash with Villa, and up to that point, the pair had brought a balance to the back four which quickly went down a level after their exits due to injury.
Upon the news that Trippier had broken a bone in his foot and required surgery, every fan was hoping for positive news on Manquillio - and to a certain degree, there was.
The initial fear Manquillio had suffered ligament damage thankfully didn’t ring true but the fact the game against West Ham game too soon for him was the added blow United fans didn’t want.
Again it’s a measure of how far the 27-year-old has come over recent seasons.
It was perhaps a mistake of Rafa Benitez, the man who brought Manquillo to Newcastle, to be so brutal about the former Liverpool man.
Speaking back in March 2019, Benitez said of Manquillo: “When you sign some players, it depends on the money you have and the necessity of the position.
“If you have to sign a full-back when you know you already have one, then you cannot spend massive money.”
It was hardly a glowing assessment of the Manquillo - and in truth, it was not until Steve Bruce that we saw what he was really capable of.
His run of games and up-turn in form saw Manquillo rewarded with a new deal back in June 2020, and under Howe, the defender has continued to improve.
In just 13 starts this season, Manquillo has made 40 tackles with only Sean Longstaff (41), Joe Willock (47) and Joelinton (51) making more.
Those tackles have handed Newcastle possession of the ball 24 times - again, only the three players mentioned above rank higher.
Manquillo tops the list in terms of tackles in the defensive third (26) and with the number of dribblers tackled (18) - a success rate of 56.3%.
In terms of pressuring the opposition, he’s registered 53 successful attempts out of 158 - more than any other defender, while he ranks fourth when combining the number of tackles and interceptions made (62).
Again all this is done with relatively limited game time.
While the focus will be on whether Allan Saint-Maximin returns to fitness in time for this Saturday’s game with Brentford, there should be some attention on the return of Manquillo.
Of course, the focus won’t be the same but as Manquillo has previously noted, he’s quite happy going under the radar.
“The main thing is that I'm helping the team - whether I'm the first name on people's lips, or the second or the third, it doesn't matter,” he said back in December 2019.
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The truth is that Manquillo is doing just that - helping his team by ensuring he goes about his task on the pitch with a clinical touch.
As he looks to make his 101st appearance for the club, it’s maybe time to reflect on how far Manquillio has come and his role as an unsung hero.
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