Harvey Barnes experiences the class of Eddie Howe after brilliant pre-season squad number gesture
Newcastle United winger Harvey Barnes will hope he can put a campaign of torment behind him and has already been given a major boost
Newcastle United's £38million man Harvey Barnes is aiming to hit the ground running in the 2024/25 season - and the England international looks to have been handed a big boost from Eddie Howe before a ball has been kicked.
Barnes spent a large proportion of last season on the sidelines after picking up a two injury just weeks after signing from Leicester City as one of Howe's big summer signings. After suffering a setback he went from September to February without making an appearance.
The 26-year-old then suffered a hamstring injury in March which cost him an appearance in the 3-2 loss to Chelsea but returned after the international break in spring. After scoring in the 4-2 win over Brentford on the final day of the season in May, Barnes went away for the summer with the intention to get back to the same type of form Newcastle fans saw glimpses of last term as he weighed in with five goals and three assists despite starting just seven matches and being largely restricted to substitute cameos.
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Barnes returned for pre-season training at Benton on Thursday and was pictured in the new Adidas training gear with squad number 11 emblazoned on his kit. Whether he is handed that shirt number as successor to Matt Ritchie remains to be seen but it is a good sign for Barnes as it shows he is in the mind of the manager when it comes to his first XI.
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