Newcastle United defender Sven Botman has been hailed for his start to life on Tyneside and tipped to potentially become a future Toon captain.
This has been suggested by Toon presenter Sam Mulliner, who has been speaking about Newcastle’s start to the season on the Everything is Black & White podcast.
The Dutchman joined Newcastle over the summer from Lille for a figure believed to be in the region of £33m and has played a big part in Eddie Howe’s side already.
Despite being just 22 years old, Botman has made an instant impact, having made 10 appearances in the Premier League with nine coming in the starting XI (via Transfermarkt).
Botman was in Howe’s XI for the victory over Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday – earning himself a spot in Alan Shearer’s Team of the Week – and after an impressive display against the Champions League side, Mulliner has tipped the centre-back for a big future at St James’ Park.
He said: “To be honest, like I knew he would, he just looks like our Vincent Kompany for the next 10 years. If we can get to where the owners and fans aspire to be, he could be with us, and a future Newcastle captain.”
TIF Thoughts on Mulliner’s comments…
This is certainly big praise from Mulliner, considering the 22-year-old is just a matter of months into his career at Newcastle.
Can Botman become a future NUFC captain?
Yes
No
However, he has certainly made a bright start to life on Tyneside having played a big role in the Premier League’s tightest defence, with just 10 goals conceded so far.
And it seems Mulliner is not the only person to be impressed by Botman, with Jamie Redknapp hailing the young centre-back. Whilst speaking on Sky Sports, he said (via The Chronicle):
“Botman at the back, 22, we’ve seen some good centre-backs in this league (but) he’s got the capabilities to be better than them. He’s a real leader of men – what a special player he is.”
Whether Botman remains at Newcastle in the long term remains to be seen, but it seems as though he has already started to pay off his transfer fee.