Ruud Gullit is loving Newcastle United’s success - calling them the 'Napoli of the north-east.'
The Dutchman was grinning from ear to ear when asked about the job Eddie Howe is doing on Tyneside.
Gullit took the Magpies to within 90 minutes of ending their trophy drought when he guided them to the 1999 FA Cup final - only to find Sir Alex Ferguson’s treble-winning Manchester United side standing in their way.
But he said that memories came flooding back to him of what Newcastle could become when he saw Naples celebrating its first title in 33 years.
He said: “Newcastle itself is a fantastic football club. The crowd is fantastic. The Toon is fantastic.
“They just need a little bit of success - they want to be proud of their region.
“To be honest, when I saw Napoli win Serie A on Thursday night, I thought of Newcastle.
“It’s their region. It’s the north against the south in Italy and in England is the south against the north.
“It’s the greatest thing for them to be proud of Newcastle and what the city and their region represent.
“That’s what they need. That’s what they really want. And they are on the right track to do that.”
Gullit described Eddie Howe’s work as ‘exceptional’ and said that the club now needed to target players with the X-factor if they want to kick on again.
He said: “What Howe has done is very good, everyone thought that with the money coming in there would be problems.
“They haven’t spent that much on great big players. Therefore what he’s done is exceptional.
“A really good effort by the coach that he allowed these players to perform at a higher level than they were before.
“And now they could reach the Champions League. Oh my god, it would be unbelievable for the city. It would be a victory in itself for Newcastle. But they will have to adjust their sights.
“The Premier League is one thing. But it is different in Europe - you need a little bit of finesse. Like Manchester United did with Casemiro, it’s different. If they can do that, in midfield, they will do well.
"That’s what big teams are searching for - that finesse in the middle of the park - it’s the little step you need to take to make the difference. And that’s what these top midfielders do. If you have that bit of spark - Jorginho did it at Chelsea.
“If they get that, it’s not up to me who they should choose, but I think if they can find that, it would take them up another level again.
Ruud Gullit is an ambassador for Laureus Sports. For more details on the World Sports Awards and the nominees for tomorrow night, go to www.laureus.com
