Diame worthy of new contract as reward for form

MIDFIELDER’S EXPERIENCE VITAL TO YOUNG MAGPIES

IT HAS always been considered good practice to tie a quality player to a new contract during the last year of his current deal and so prevent him escaping on a free transfer.

Alternatively it can be with immense relief that a club sees an unwanted player finally reach the culmination of a lengthy agreement and therefore can be jettisoned off the wage bill.

Such is the situation facing Rafa Benitez as he turns his thoughts to the summer and forging a future for Newcastle United in the Premier League.

For while he must, in my opinion, sign up Mo Diame as quickly as possible to retain his services Rafa will turn his face away from Jack Colback.

Both Diame and Colback see their current deals run out at the end of next season but with vastly differing outlooks. Diame simply has to stay – he’s been genuine quality, a midfield powerhouse whose sky-high standards were maintained at Everton when many around him suffered a dip in performance. The man has been a revelation since switching from the number 10 role to a deeper midfield anchorage where he can face the play. And at a time when Rafa is advocating the recruitment of experience to help the youngest squad in the Premier League, 30-year-old Diame has bags of it. Colback on the other hand has a SJP future about as bright as night shift down the mines. He is just about to return from a loan spell at Nottingham Forest but probably shouldn’t unpack because next season will see another move, temporary or permanent.

He is heading the same way as Massadio Haidara, Jesus Gamez and Curtis Good, whose contracts will expire in June.

Such has been Diame’s upsurge since he formed a crucial partnership with Jonjo Shelvey, he could easily be considered in United’s Player of the Year voting.

I never thought I would be saying that a little while back but the man is now punching his weight and it can be argued is in the prime of his career. He is a must to stay and help develop United into hopefully a top-half side.

Diame has played round the fringes of the big time with Wigan Athletic, West Ham, and Hull City but now has the opportunity to make a lasting mark on a soccermad city.

Diame gave up international football with Senegal to concentrate on his club career at Newcastle and that, coupled with his consistently high performances, deserves recognition and reward. A GROUP of Tyneside kids have just returned from a VIP trip to the headquarters of English football for a very special day out.

And it was topped off by a grand reunion between an original master and pupil.

Walker Central’s Under-14s were invited down to the FA training facilities at St George’s Park in Burton-on-Trent where they were looked after by England’s National Club Development manager Les Howie, a Geordie lad.

Thirty seven years ago Les was Brian Sweeney’s first football manager, which is how Walker Central’s Under-14s, now trained by Brian, ended up playing where England’s World Cup heroes train.

“We were greeted by Les and given a guided tour of the facilities, including the pitches and dressing rooms which are all named after ex-England players,” explained Terry Sweeney. “The boys then changed into their kit for a training session in which Les Howie provided the coaching before they had a practice game on England’s Astro pitch.

“The Bobby Moore pitch is an exact replica of the Wembley pitch, down to the type of grass used, and is maintained by the same groundsmen who maintain Wembley.

“Players, parents, and officials had travelled to Burton through the generosity of our sponsor Premier Transport. It’s people like these who allow us to do so much for the kids.”

No doubt some of the Walker Central youngsters are dreaming of following in the footsteps of Shola and Sammy Ameobi who graduated to play for Newcastle United.