'Aye, aye!': Steve Bruce reacts to Rolando Aarons' renaissance away from Newcastle United

The Newcastle United winger joined Sheffield Wednesday on loan in January. And Aarons – who spent the first half of the season at Slovan Liberec – has found form at the promotion-chasing Championship club.

The 23-year-old, under contract at St James’s Park until 2021, scored his first goal for Steve Bruce’s side before the international break.

“Of course, scoring a goal and playing well gives everybody that bit of confidence, and Rolando has given us that something that we didn’t have before in the wide areas,” said Bruce, Wednesday’s manager. “He’s got a little trick, he’s quick – and he can score a goal.”

“He’s improving, and that can only go game by game.

“He’s done well, wants to do well, wants to enjoy it, plays with a smile on his face. It’s good to see.”

Aarons fell out of favour last season and was loaned to Hellas Verona.

“The biggest thing when you haven’t had the best of times, the biggest thing you want to do when you are a footballer, is play, and certainly we have given him that platform,” said Bruce.

“From the very first time he came on he did a trick within a minute, and people took a look and thought ‘aye, aye ... we haven’t seen something like that in a while’.

“So he’s had a bit of an impact and let’s hope he can maintain it. That’s the key.”