The ‘anti-Lamine’ backed to be one of best in world

Kieran Trippier did not even flinch.

“He has got all the attributes to be one of the best left-backs in the world,” the Newcastle United defender said of team-mate Lewis Hall.

“I think he is [one of the best] right now.”

It was high praise before the second leg of Newcastle’s Champions League last-16 tie against Barcelona.

But the straight-talking Trippier is not one for hyperbole.

The former England international has instead witnessed Hall’s progression from a raw player who could not even get into Newcastle’s starting XI to one who stood up to the almighty test of trying to keep Barcelona star Lamine Yamal quiet last week.

All in the space of just three years.

Head coach Eddie Howe has, naturally, shied away from such proclamations and wanted to protect a left-back who is still only 21.

But the Newcastle boss will not think twice about throwing Hall into the Nou Camp cauldron for the return fixture on Wednesday night.

“I’m very reluctant to build up any player after any game because you know you have to continually prove and give answers, especially if you’re a defender,” Howe said.

“The challenge is a big one for him. This is going to be a really good test of Lewis’ defensive skills, his experience and how much he has developed in the last couple of years.

That is not in doubt.

Hall even grinned when asked about the prospect of facing Lamine Yamal for the first time on the eve of last week’s 1-1 draw.

Hall wanted to test himself against the best, and backed himself to handle the occasion.

So it proved.

Lamine Yamal may have scored a 96th-minute equaliser from the penalty spot, but that did not tell the full story.

The gifted Barcelona forward failed to even dribble past Hall, and was ultimately restricted to just a single effort from open play from a tight angle.

The Spaniard got so frustrated at one point that he cynically barged Hall over.

No wonder Barcelona-based newspaper Mundo Deportivo labelled Hall the “anti-Lamine”.

Yet Hall is far from a mere stopper.

The former midfielder also has the engine and technical ability to hurt teams the other way, and no other player on the field created more chances (five) or hit more defensive line-breaking passes (three) that night.

It was a performance which made neutrals sit up, but such a showing did not necessarily come as a surprise to Trippier.

“Lewis is a shy person at first, but his performances speak for themselves,” he said.

“He’s been unbelievable. I thought he dealt with his one v ones very well, especially in the first leg.

The stars appear to be aligning for both club and country.

The World Cup is a “motivating factor” for Hall, and there remain question marks surrounding just who will line up in his position for England this summer.

Hall, who has won two caps for his country, has yet to earn a call-up under Thomas Tuchel following an injury-disrupted period in his fledgling career.

But that will surely change when the England manager announces his squad for the friendlies against Uruguay and Japan on Thursday.

Tuchel certainly knows him well.

The England boss handed Hall his debut at Chelsea at the age of just 17 in 2022, and has watched the left-back play against his former club and Manchester City this month.

Hall was a highly-rated talent at Chelsea, but he has come a long way since Tuchel first trialled him in a back three against Chesterfield.

Arno Michels, Tuchel’s long-serving assistant at Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Paris St-Germain, knows that better than most.

“It’s incredible to see how Lewis has developed – and he’s still only 21,” he said.

Yet Hall will not be getting carried away.

Hall, by his nature, is a level-headed character, who does not tend to look beyond the next game, and has been kept grounded by a tight-knit family.

He has never lost touch with his roots.

The defender still has a small circle of close friends and has returned to Binfield, where it all started, in each of the past three summers to hand out trophies and medals at the annual junior football tournament he once played in.

Hall has even been back to represent his local cricket club as relatively recently as 2024.

The left-back has not forgotten those who have helped him along the way, either, such as Mark Robinson, his former manager with Chelsea’s under-23s.

Hall even jumped into the stands to catch up with Robinson after Newcastle’s 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge at the weekend.

“There’s lots more to come because Lewis is a very humble lad,” Robinson said.