Eddie Howe could not stop smiling in his post-match press conference when discussing William Osula following Newcastle United’s win over West Ham.
Osula scored twice as Newcastle United beat West Ham 3-1 on Sunday in their final home game of the season.
This has largely been a miserable season for Newcastle United, particularly at home in the Premier League. Seven defeats at St James’ Park is just not good enough.
Still, Osula is just one of just a few rays of light to have emerged from it. Sunday’s brace saw him take his tally up to nine goals in 34 games across all competitions this season.
Howe, as one would imagine, was full of praise for the 22-year-old.
Howe admits Osula has given Newcastle their spark back
Asked during his press conference if Osula had the ‘Scandinavian spark’ (presumably a reference to Alexander Isak) that Newcastle had been lacking all season, Howe smiled and said: “It’s a good one, that [question].
“Firstly, as a character. He is very, very unique. He’s a good mover, you can see that when he scores. He’s got a real character about him. He loves life, he loves football. That energy is sort of endless with him when he’s around the training ground.
“For us, sometimes, it’s getting him to really focus on the details of the job that he needs to do. Because, as I said, the responsibility of being Newcastle number 9 is big.
“So, I think there’s rough edges to smooth off but he does have a great product. We really do appreciate his skills.”
While Osula has always been a popular figure among Newcastle fans, that was broadly for his personality and his social media antics at times.
It is hugely promising, then, that he’s now following that up with genuine goals. The raw talent has always been there, but he has found a clinical edge not many would have predicted he had.
Quite whether or not Osula alone is enough to convincingly lead the Newcastle line next season is still up for debate.
Still, he’s certainly making a case to suggest he should at least have the chance to start next season as the first choice.
It is quite ironic that Newcastle spent so much money trying to replace Isak when the best port of call on that front might have been in their squad all along.
That’s not to say that Osula is on Isak’s level, but he’s certainly the closest thing we’ve seen to the Swede in a Newcastle shirt this season.