Howe wants players to ‘step up’ – is this Ramsey’s time to shine?

Jacob Ramsey once stood on the Holte End.

But the Newcastle United midfielder quickly showed where his allegiances now lie on his return to Villa Park last week.

The boyhood Aston Villa supporter jokingly kissed the Newcastle badge on his training top after spotting former team-mate Morgan Rogers warming up before their FA Cup tie.

Rogers could not help but smile as he repeatedly gave his close friend the thumbs down in response.

It would have been an unimaginable exchange not so long ago.

Ramsey was “Villa through and through”, as one former colleague put it, and had been on the club’s books since the age of six.

However, Villa were effectively incentivised to cash in on the academy graduate for pure profit last summer after he entered the final two years of his contract.

The midfielder felt ready for a fresh start, but he understandably found those first few days at Newcastle a little strange after completing his £40m move.

It was his first permanent switch of his career.

Ramsey was putting on a different kit, living out of a suitcase in a hotel and based 200 miles away from his family and friends in Birmingham.

But the 24-year-old has started to truly look at home in Eddie Howe’s side in recent weeks.

Howe will certainly need a settled Ramsey after influential captain Bruno Guimaraes was sidelined for two months with a hamstring injury.

Newcastle have lost plenty of matches with Guimaraes in the team, but Howe’s men have tellingly failed to win any of the 10 league games the Brazilian has missed since his debut in 2022.

Yet Newcastle found a way to beat top-flight opponents in the FA Cup at Villa Park without their talisman last week.

It was a night fellow midfielder Sandro Tonali scored twice in a 3-1 victory as the visitors came from behind against 10 men and channelled their frustrations following some dubious refereeing decisions.

Howe said afterwards that he “always believed there was a way without someone” as he called on his players to continue to “step up” in Guimaraes’ absence.

Ramsey will have been among those at the forefront of the manager’s mind.

Howe had already made it clear to Ramsey that he needed to increase his numbers – even when Guimaraes was fit – and the summer signing responded with his first goal for the club in the 2-1 victory at Tottenham last week.

The emotion came pouring out of Ramsey as he roared in front of the away end after netting what proved to be the winner just a few days before his return to Villa.

Even team-mate Anthony Elanga “celebrated like I had scored”.

“Everyone was so happy for him because he’s just that type of guy who brings the energy into the team,” he said.

“He thoroughly deserved that. His performances over the last few weeks have been outstanding.

That night in Paris certainly felt significant last month.

No other Newcastle player won more duels (seven) and fouls (three) than Ramsey, who had the most shots (two) in the 1-1 draw at the Parc des Princes.

He also ranked in the top two visiting players for successful passes (32) and touches in the opposition box (three) against the Champions League holders.

The fearless manner in which Ramsey demanded the ball, wriggled out of tight spaces and took his side up the pitch served as a reminder why Newcastle wanted to sign him back in August.

But it was always going to take time for Ramsey to cement his place in the most stacked area of the team.

Not only did Ramsey arrive after the season had started – he then went on to sustain an ankle injury on his full debut against Leeds United, which kept him out for six weeks.

The midfielder was left playing catch-up as he adjusted to the intensity, detail and structure of life under Howe.

Though Villa boss Unai Emery is a demanding figure in his own right, Howe’s sapping training sessions took a little while to get used to at first.

But there have not been enough of them in recent months because of the relentless nature of Newcastle’s fixture schedule.

Ramsey has instead come to rely on analysis debriefs to learn the intricacies of his role – after previously playing on the left under Emery – and the summer arrival has mainly built up an understanding with his team-mates through games.

This “conscientious” figure has impressed Howe with his work behind the scenes while Ramsey feels Newcastle’s aggressive playing style will ultimately bring out the best in him in his favoured position in the middle of the park.

Ramsey previously noted how many players improved under Howe after sitting down with those closest to him last summer to assess which of his suitors gave him the best chance of one day getting into the England squad.

The wait for a senior call-up goes on, but Howe hopes Ramsey’s first goal for the club proves a “turning point” in his Newcastle career as his side now prepare to face Qarabag for a place in the Champions League last 16.

“There’s nothing better than actually contributing and helping your team win a game,” he added.