Kieran Trippier has compared the strength that Newcastle United striker Joelinton has on the ball to that of his former Tottenham teammate Mousa Dembele.
Dembele might not have won any silverware during his time at Spurs but the Belgian was a crucial part of the Mauricio Pochettino revolution in North London, which saw the club compete for the Premier League title and make it to the Champions League final.
The midfielder will be remembered as one of the most naturally talented footballers to play in the Premier League, not just by Spurs fans but also opposition supporters.
One of the joys of watching Dembele in his peak was the way he would brush players aside and prove impossible to dispossess.
The strength that the former Fulham man possessed, married with his quick feet, meant that he would always be able to retain possession, no matter how many players were around him.
Trippier has now claimed that the way his Newcastle teammate Joelinton breaks things up reminds him of Dembele.
The former Tottenham right-back said on the True Geordie’s Podcast: “Joelinton, since I have come in, he has been unbelievable. The way he has won the ball back. The way he has played and performed.
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“Sometimes, you need that manager. He maybe plays you in a different position. Or he gives you that confidence. You have seen the way he has performed, especially since I arrived. He has been unbelievable.
“He is powerful. The way he breaks things up. He reminds me of Mousa Dembele when I played with him at Tottenham. You can’t get the ball off him.”
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Joelinton has certainly been a much-improved player under Eddie Howe but for his ability to retain possession to be compared with Dembele is probably the biggest compliment that the Brazilian will ever get.
Having Dembele in the side was essentially a cheat code for Spurs for many years as the Belgian would, at times, single-handedly stop the opposition from breaking on the Lilywhites.
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