Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has praised Matt Targett following his Champions League appearance in midweek.
The 28-year-old Magpies defender has struggled for game time over the past year or so.
Last season, Targett made 19 appearances totalling 737 minutes, while this term, he’s on six outings, including one Premier League start.
In midweek, Howe brought the former England Under-21 ace off the bench in the Champions League loss to Borussia Dortmund.
Targett replaced Dan Burn and provided some more attacking threat down the left as Newcastle chased an equaliser.
The Magpies are now up against Wolves in the Premier League on Saturday evening, hoping to make it six unbeaten in the top flight.
Howe, speaking to the Newcastle media team, said: “Matt was a regular player for us. He’d done really well in our fight to stay in the Premier League.
“Then he got ill before that Fulham game. We won that game and performed really well as a team, so I stuck with that team.
“We went on a winning run and it made it difficult for him to get his place back, and Dan (Burn) in his position has been a model of consistency. They are very different players.
“I rate Matt very highly – I really do. It’s great to see him come in and do so well. I think he made a positive impact on the team’s performance on Wednesday.”
Recognition for Targett in Newcastle rise to prominence – TBR View
It’s good to see Howe praise a player who has been crucial for Newcastle as they went from relegation near-certainties in 2021-22 to top four in 2022-23.
Although Targett has slipped down the pecking order, he remains a useful squad option and has a lot to contribute to Newcastle still.
However, with the January transfer window coming up, we’ll have to see whether he’s happy to stay or would rather look elsewhere for first team football.
His contract runs until the summer of 2026, so it’s not as though he’ll be in a rush to find somewhere else.