Chris Waugh shares what he’s just been told about Sandro Tonali at Newcastle

It has been an incredibly difficult first season as a Newcastle United player for Sandro Tonali, but the future is so bright.

It started with an incredible debut against Aston Villa, where Sandro Tonali ran the show and immediately looked settled in the Premier League.

However, then things took a slight turn. Performances dipped, and it became clear that the 23-year-old would need a bit of time to acclimatise. It was not clear what his role in the team was, while the fact that he did not speak English was also an issue.

Then suddenly, none of that mattered. That was because Tonali was hit with a ban until August after being investigated by the Italian Football Federation for betting.

The Toon Army wrapped their arms around Tonali and showered him with love and support, as he admitted the problems he has had away from the pitch.

Now we won’t see the Italy international back on the pitch until August, but the Athletic’s Chris Waugh has shared details on why the midfielder’s comeback could be very exciting.

Hope that Sandro Tonali can have an immediate impact on Newcastle return

Chris Waugh has been speaking on the latest episode of Pod On The Tyne about a conversation he recently had with someone who knows Tonali.

“I had a fascinating conversation a couple of weeks ago with someone who knows Tonali pretty well,” he said.

“They were actually saying that the irony they see of the situation is that in some ways this time out and the fact that he is now fluent in English and he’s learned exactly what Eddie Howe wants him to do that when Newcastle fans actually see him next season there is a significant hope that he will actually be better suited to coming into the team at that point than if he had been in and around the squad this year.

“Obviously it’s a situation that nobody wanted and it has negatively effected Newcastle’s season in so many ways, and I’m sure he’s had a very difficult time during it, but the hope is that when he does come back he will be ready to make the impact immediately as Newcastle need him to.”

Challenging period for Tonali and Newcastle

The fact that Tonali has been allowed to continue training with Newcastle United has been hugely significant. He will have been like a sponge on that training pitch, soaking up every bit of information Eddie Howe gives him as he works towards his comeback.

And that will have been so much easier for Tonali now that he speaks English. He appears to have worked tremendously hard, and even Dan Burn has admitted to being shocked at how much his teammate has improved in that department. He is now fluent in English, while we already know that he’s got Geordie down to a tee thanks to David Ginola.

For Newcastle, it has been really challenging to be without their big summer signing. For Tonali, it is hard to describe what he has been going through. It must be such a difficult period of his life.

But the hope is that he will be better for it, and that could be to Newcastle’s advantage when he is able to play once again next season.