‘We are lucky to have goal scorer’ - Ki

SALOMON Rondon can establish himself as the most important member of the Newcastle United squad if he keeps finding the back of the net, believes team-mate Ki Sung-yueng.

The 29-year-old Venezuelan put in a man-of-the-match display during Newcastle’s 2-1 victory over AFC Bournemouth before the international break, and is expected to lead the Magpies’ line at Turf Moor against Burnley on Monday night.

The Cherries win saw Rondon start just his fifth Premier League game for Newcastle, with the Venezuelan having struggled with a few niggling injuries since joining the Magpies on a season-long loan deal from West Bromwich Albion.

But Rondon, pictured below, is now back to full fitness and, with the forward hopefully having returned from international duty unscathed, Ki expects to see the West Brom loanee thrive playing in United’s 4-2-3-1 formation.

In Ki’s view, such a system is ideal for Rondon given the striker’s ability to hold up the ball, bring his team-mates into play and, crucially, score goals. Put simply, Rondon gives the Magpies a focal point from which his Newcastle team-mates can play.

“Everybody knows how Rondon will be a big part of this team,” the South Korean midfielder said of the Newcastle forward.

“He holds the ball up well, can fight for possession and he can score goals. If you have striker like him, as a midfielder it makes me so confident, and I know we can enjoy a good partnership.

“If he keeps scoring then it will really help the team.”

Following Rondon’s brace against Bournemouth, Ki is confident the forward will start finding the back of the net more often.

Excitingly, the former Swansea City midfielder insists he has seen Rondon score headers like his memorable second against the Cherries regularly in training.

“It was a beautiful goal, and hopefully we can see more of those from him. The goalscorer is the most important thing for any team, so we are lucky to have him.”