Newcastle United midfielder Mohamed Diane has revealed the frustration he felt earlier in the season when he was a fringe player at St James’ Park.
The 30-year-old came in for severe criticism at the beginning of the campaign for his performances and was mainly used as a substitute.
However, he has managed to get back in the good books of manager Rafael Benitez and is in brilliant form right now.
The Magpies central midfielder has become an ever-present in the the side and delivered some eye-catching displays with his imposing presence.
Diame has detailed how difficult it was for him watching on from the sidelines and is keen to continue his important role in the side.
The Senegal international has managed to chip in with a couple of goals recently, while he shone during a shock victory over Manchester United too.
“As I have said before, it wasn’t easy for me but I kept working and I feel better every game,” Diame told the Chronicle.
“Hopefully I can be a regular for the rest of the season and give a good performance.
“You need to work hard in training and make it a difficult choice for the manager as to who makes his starting XI.”
OPINION
It would have been easy for Diame to give up during the first couple of the months of the season, but his turnaround has been quite remarkable and a major surprise to most. Newcastle supporters slaughtered him for several of his displays early doors and the experienced midfielder was clearly struggling with a lack of confidence. He now looks undroppable in Benitez’s side and is a powerhouse in the middle of the park. Diame has shown he can do a great defensive job in front of the back four and is also full of running going forward. He has become a vital player for Newcastle and will be keen to drag them away from a potential relegation battle in the Premier League.