Toon linked with £10.4m move for Metz winger
“I have never known anybody talk so much about football. Whatever you talk about he will get back around to football. I remember having dinner with him and we were talking about football and I tried to change the subject to cars, we talked about cars for a minute and a half, then we were back at football.
“Then I tried to talk about wine and it was back to football.
“Rafa loves the game, he is a passionate guy.
“I came to the play-offs for the under-23 games and Rafa was still working and making calls even then. He was still working. He is a great professional and you do not become a great manager like him without that. It is hard work, graft, knowledge and determination.”
So a football-mad city like Newcastle finally has a football mad manager in place to lead the team on to bigger and better things.
Moncur says he has never felt so relaxed about the man in charge.
He added: “He has been at Real Madrid. You can’t get much bigger than that. ISMAILA Sarr is the latest name to be linked with Newcastle United this summer.
The 19-year-old winger from Metz is subject of a £10.4million bid from the Magpies – according to reports in L’Equipe.
It is no secret Newcastle are in the hunt for a winger this summer, with Rafa Benitez currently considering a clutch of wide players.
Sarr already has six caps at senior Bob Moncur and chief sports writer Lee Ryder with the SkyBet Championship trophy. Moncur gave his unique insight into the work of Rafa Benitez at St James’ Park
“He has been there as manager, Valencia, Liverpool, Inter Milan, Chelsea and Napoli.
“He very rarely loses his cool because he knows what needs to be said at the right time.
“He is a great PR manager if you like. What you have to remember is when he arrived at the club he calmed everybody down.
“We could not wish to have a better manager than him at this moment.” level with Senegal and has appeared 31 times for Metz, scoring five goals.
Speaking about Sarr recently, Metz boss Philippe Hinschberger said: “He runs at opponents, he is quick and he is someone you do not like to defend against, so we like to have him.”
Sarr is just one year into a fiveyear contract with the Ligue 1 club.
Lille, Celtic and Watford have also been credited with interest in Sarr, but reports in France say Metz could hold out for a bigger offer than £10.4million for the winger.
Newcastle have relied heavily on the French market in recent years but Benitez is not focusing on one country.
He said last year: “For me it does not matter where the player comes from as long as he has the right mentality, character and the quality we need.”