It was certainly a morale-boosting victory for Steve Bruce’s men in a pre-season campaign that began with a 1-0 defeat at National League North outfit York City.
While pre-season results often count or prove nothing, it does give players the opportunity to build fitness and stake a claim to be in the team come the first league game of the campaign.
And here, we pick out 10 players who have benefitted the most from the Magpies’ pre-season campaign ahead of hosting West Ham United on the opening weekend of the Premier League season:
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5. Ryan Fraser
A goal at Doncaster whilst also being tried and tested on the wing and through the middle - it was imperative Fraser enjoyed a bright pre-season and he did just that. It was the Scotland international's first proper warm-up period since the summer of 2019, which really cost him during his first season on Tyneside. Now, hopefully, this goes a long way in seeing the best of Fraser. Photo: Michael Regan
6. Jeff Hendrick
The Republic of Ireland international has plenty to do before winning the Newcastle fans around, but that’s not to say he hasn’t done OK in pre-season. Every player deserves a chance and there’s no reason why Hendrick can’t change his fortunes at St James’s Park. Photo: Michael Regan
7. Isaac Hayden
Hayden played the second-most minutes in pre-season - an extremely positive step after he missed the final nine games of last season with a knee injury. Could that also hint at him being a regular in Steve Bruce’s starting XI? Time will tell. Photo: Michael Regan
8. Sean Longstaff
In the words of Longstaff himself, it’s the best he’s felt since his breakthrough season under Rafa Benitez which had Manchester United sniffing about. A knee injury during that time undoubtedly halted the 23-year-old’s progress but after a strong pre-season, he’s aiming to get back to his best in the upcoming campaign. Photo: Ian MacNicol