Harvey Barnes confident that this time will be very different

Harvey Barnes scored in the first and last Premier League matches of the 2023/24 season.

However, in between those goals and wins over Aston Villa and Brentford, the former Leicester star experienced so much frustration.

Having scored an astonishing 13 goals from the wing as Leicester  City were relegated in the 2022/23 season, hopes were high on a signing who had some superb stats for goals and assists over a number of seasons with the Foxes.

A freak injury though during the 8-0 demolition of Sheffield United basically put paid to much of the winger’s Newcastle United debut season.

Harvey Barnes averaged a very impressive goal every 159 Premier League minutes last season, the only problem of course was that he only played 794 PL minutes in total in the 2023/24 campaign.

As well the goals in the 1st and 38th league matches Harvey Barnes scored two belting goals against West Ham with his right foot to complete an astonishing 4-3 turnaround after trailing 4-1.

This in addition to a very high-quality left-foot finish from distance that rescued a point in the 4-4 against Luton at St James’ Park.

Harvey Barnes thinks it will be a massive help this 2024/25 season as he has had a proper pre-season and is fully settled on Tyneside with his family.

The bottom line for me is that if Newcastle United has Harvey Barnes on the pitch for plenty of matches this season, he will get plenty of assists and goals. He proved that at Leicester City over a number of years.

Harvey Barnes looking forward to the new season:

“There are a lot of things to learn when you arrive at Newcastle United [to play for Eddie Howe].

“There are certain demands which you have to meet.

“In terms of the way of playing and the tactical side of that.

“The style of play that we play here, you need to get used to that.

“The best way to do that is by playing games.

“You can run all over the training pitch, but being in a match situation and playing in game after game after game, is the best way of doing that.

“Last year it was difficult to do that, an injury and then stop-start when you come back in.

“For sure, this year, after a good pre-season, I think that that will be the best way to get up to that speed and be ready.

“Last year was up and down for me.

“It obviously wasn’t the start I was hoping for.

“The injury and then it took longer than I thought to get back, which is always frustrating.

“When you come into a new club, you are always desperate to make a good impression.

“The injury stalled that, so I was desperate to get back.

“Then when I did, it’s always the same, you have been out for a length of time, you have games where you feel great and certain games where you don’t.

“I still feel like I made a bit of an impression and I managed to help the team in certain games, which going into this season is a big confidence boost.

“There were glimpses when I came back last season but it can be tough when you’re not playing regularly.

“When I came in last year during pre-season, it was midway through.

“Before I joined, I’d not done a lot of training or running at Leicester, because this [move to Newcastle United] was sort of on the horizon.

“I was sort of kept aside there for a bit, so my fitness levels and my training minutes weren’t where they would have been if I’d been here from the beginning.

“I was playing catch up a lot, even when I arrived.

“Before you know it, the season has gone and you have missed half of it.

“You feel like you have never been fully fit.

“For sure, this year, I feel a lot more settled.

“My daughter is a year older, we’re settled in our house, all these things that were a challenge last year are now very settled.”