Newcastle United winger Kenedy has confirmed he has made a personal bid to end the frustrations of manager Rafael Benitez over his inability to speak English by hiring a private tutor.
The Brazilian attacker is on loan at St James’ Park from Chelsea for the second successive season after his successful spell during the latter half of the last campaign, but has not had the same impact as when he first arrived on Tyneside.
Now he has made the surprise revelation that he was “lazy” in learning English and that his lack of communication skills have been a source of ire for Beniteez – but that he is making an effort to change his perception.
He told UOL Sports: “I do not think it’s (English) hard to learn, I’m just lazy. Now I’m with a private teacher, trying to evolve. Let’s see if it works out.
“I’m learning from another great coach, Rafa.”
Opinion
Kenedy has always been something of a mercurial talent and it seems that his attitude on the pitch – which is full of flair but sometimes lacking in maturity and dedication – was reflected in his off-pitch approach. However, it seems as though Benitez’s desire to get him on the same wavelength – on a language basis – has paid off and that the Brazilian is making the effort to learn. It should have a big impact on his game too, with Geordie born-and-bred Paul Dummett the regular man to fill in at full back on the left flank behind the Chelsea loanee. Having the pair able to communicate, even on a basic level, should bring improvements in both defence and attack down the wing, while the majority of the squad will be speaking English both on the pitch and on the training ground. Hopefully for the Toon Army his dedication to the cause comes up with some positive results.