Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe praises ‘incredible piece of business’ done by Mike Ashley

The Swiss defender was out of favour and almost out of contract when Howe arrived at Newcastle last November. But a stunning turnaround on and off the pitch saw Schar return to being a first team regular and awarded a new two-year deal on the back of a run of impressive displays.

Both Schar and Newcastle have continued the momentum built up last season into the opening 11 games of the 2022-23 campaign. The 30-year-old is arguably Howe’s first choice centre-back given that he has started at centre-back more than any other player so far this season.

Whether he’s alongside Dan Burn or £35million summer signing Sven Botman, Schar has been one of United’s most consistent performers in 2022 and the club are reaping the rewards for it.

Newcastle ended 2021 by setting an unwanted Premier League record for most goals conceded in a calendar year with 80. Yet 11 games into the new season, Schar has helped the side keep five clean sheets and boast the best defensive record in the division with just nine goals conceded.

It is a team effort, of course – the likes of Botman, Kieran Trippier, Burn and goalkeeper Nick Pope have also played a major role.

But Schar’s importance to Newcastle is perhaps emphasised by the fact that he continues to be one of the first names on the team sheet despite nursing a slight foot injury since the start of the season.

And Newcastle head coach Howe believes the Switzerland international is continuing to improve as the weeks go by.

"Fabby is a hugely important part of our team,” Howe told The Gazette. “He has been a consistent part of our team, he's been a consistent performer for us.

"He had an excellent game against Manchester United, really, really good together with Sven. They had to play very well in order for us to get anything in a difficult away game.

“His use of the ball is very good, he's very composed but I think in the last few games, there has been a growth in his performances.

"His defensive mindset has been very consistent, he's very brave with his defending so I've been pleased with the pair of them in the last few games, I think they have formed a good partnership.”

In a line-up full of big money signings, Schar stands out at Newcastle as a bargain having arrived from Deportivo La Coruna back in 2018 for just £3million .

As the defender hopes to make his 100th Premier League appearance for Newcastle this Sunday at Tottenham Hotspur (4:30pm kick-off), Howe couldn’t help but praise the ‘incredible’ business done by the club under Mike Ashley’s frugal tenure.

“That's an incredible piece of business when you look back, £3million,” Howe added. “You don't get a lot these days for that and Fabby has certainly proved his worth for us.”