"When you've played at the level that he's played at for the last few seasons and also for the size of club that's he has done, you hope that he can come in and handle everything that the Premier League has to offer, that he can handle playing for Newcastle, His experience - he's got really good experience in the game - has shone through."
"He trained really well in those early weeks when he wasn't playing and that was crucial for him, that he didn't let the fact he didn't go straight into the team affect him and then when he got his opportunity, he was able to take it. Malick was a player we'd known for a long, long time and we'd made various attempts to try and sign him and it hadn't quite worked out in previous windows."
Malick Thiaw joined Newcastle from Milan in the summer for €40m after an inconsistent spell at San Siro. Competition from Fabian Schar and Dan Burn required patience before a concussion to Schar opened a starting opportunity. Thiaw seized the chance and has made ten consecutive starts, forming a central part of Newcastle's defence despite the club languishing in the bottom half of the table and conceding three to West Ham. Eddie Howe praised Thiaw's experience, calm demeanour, focus, and training performances. Newcastle pursued Thiaw across multiple windows and completed the transfer when circumstances aligned this summer.
Read at SempreMilan
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