Ryan Fraser claims playing alongside Kieran Trippier is like lining up alongside a 'monster' after the Magpies recent win over Everton.
The arrival of the England international on Tyneside sent out a statement to the rest of the Premier League, and after a four game unbeaten run the transfer looks more impressive with each passing game.
The £12million fee paid to Atletico now looks like an absolute bargain, not just after the right-back's recent performances but the steely mentality he's instilled in the Magpies dressing room.
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Speaking to NUFC TV, Fraser said: "I've got to say Kieran, since he's come to the club, with me, everyone, he's been unbelievable. Not just on the pitch - obviously his performances have been top, top, top, but off the pitch I can't praise him any higher.
"Small things, getting the lads morale up, making everyone play better. I've been playing with him for a short time, the two smallest players on the pitch, but I feel like I'm playing with a monster beside me. That's what he brings. He brings confidence and tries to make everyone better.
"He's been brilliant since he came to the club and I'm not just saying that."
The win against the Toffees lifts the Magpies out of the relegation zone for the first time since October and after picking up eight points from their last four games, the Toon are in a much brighter place.
The club were condemned by a number of outsiders for their trip to Saudi Arabia, but Fraser believes the 'team bonding' trip has brought the squad closer together.
"It's huge," said Fraser. "Back-to-back wins are so hard to come by in the Premier League and after the Leeds game, I think people thought we'd go away and have a jolly. It wasn't like that. We went away and worked hard.
"Everything we've done, day in, day out, was for this game and look where it's got us. The fans were right behind us and we got the win which was huge. The performance was brilliant.
"No we need to take it into Sunday. Obviously you have the highs of the win but you need to level yourself and not get too carried away.
"The gaffer has got us in tomorrow focussing on the next game."
Fraser himself has seen an upturn in form since the arrival of Eddie Howe, and is unquestionably playing the best football of his Magpies tenure.
"I need to be careful what I say here. Since the gaffer has come in, he's been working one-to-one with me, we're playing better football.
"I don't want to say anything negative about before, I've got myself to blame too as I wasn't good enough.
"I suppose this suits me a little bit better, to try and work hard. First and foremost, He [Howe] said to me the other day 'Don't think about goals'. It might sound stupid, I might overthink things. Wrong for the team first and foremost. Give my performance for the team that I should be, week in, week out and the goals will come.
"The goal came so I suppose he knows what he's saying."
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"This was a screamer," Fraser joked. "It was a shank if every I've seen one. They all count don't they. It's probably the little bit of luck I needed.
"I had a couple of chances in the first half - header - which is unheard of, even my shank shot, maybe trying too hard it would have went towards his head and could have scored.
"I've been in the right place. I've been working with the coaches, the gaffer, everyone. They've just told me to be in between the posts and that's how I got my goal.
"I didn't hit it cleanly but they all count."