Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink was impressed with what he saw from Sandro Tonali during the 5-1 opening-day thumping of Aston Villa on Saturday. The Italian midfielder produced a stunning debut, helping his new team-mates start the season with a bang.
His career in a Newcastle United shirt was only six minutes old when he got his name on the scoresheet, opening the scoring in what proved to be a comfortable success in the end.
The 23-year-old has become an instant hit with the St James' Park faithful and he also caught the eye of those watching in the Sky Sports studio. Former Chelsea striker Hasselbaink was among the pundits and there was one thing in particular he likes about Tonali.
He said: "You know what Tonali does really well? He buys himself time.
READ MORE: Alan Shearer hails 'magnificent' Sandro Tonali display and Newcastle United transfer vision
"When he’s under pressure, and someone is really close, he still finds the little bit of time to find the pass. Trust me, it is not easy to come over from Italy or the continental game and into the Premier League.
"I’ve done it, and it is hard, it is really hard. The tempo is just so much harder and faster than it is in the rest of Europe but he looked like he’d been here for years."
Former Liverpool and England midfielder Jamie Redknapp also liked what he saw. He added: "He’s just a lovely player to watch - it’s effortless for him.
"To come to the Premier League, it’s fast and furious and that can be difficult for a player. His range of passing was really good, the vision, the touches, and I know he’ll be really good. But to do it so early in what was a really competitive game was incredible."
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