Newcastle officially confirmed Eddie Howe as their new manager earlier this week as they finally replaced Steve Bruce, who was sacked last month.

The 43-year-old had been out of work since leaving Bournemouth at the end of the 2019/20 campaign and another key figure from that season on the south coast has been in the headlines recently.

Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale was in the limelight for making a terrific save from a James Maddison free-kick against Leicester in the Premier League. Peter Schmeichel called it one of the 'best saves' he has ever seen and Mikel Arteta hailed it as 'incredible' as he lauded his shot-stopper.

Evidently, he has come a long way since player under the tutelage of the new Newcastle boss.

Ramsdale 2.0

Howe brought Ramsdale into the first-team at the Vitality Stadium and trusted him to be his number one in the Premier League, giving him the experience he needed to push on and get to the position where is now earning praise for his performances for a big club in Arsenal.

The Sun recently reported that Newcastle are interested in a potential deal to sign Dean Henderson from Manchester United and Howe could find his next Ramsdale in the young goalkeeper. Both stoppers are young, English, players on the verge of the national team.

Ramsdale has been in the England set-up but is yet to receive his first senior cap, whilst Henderson has one cap to his name and is one year older at 24 than the Gunners number one. This suggests that they are on a similar career path, albeit the former is currently playing regularly whilst the latter is in need of a move away from Old Trafford to get regular minutes.

Henderson has previously shown that he has the quality to play in the Premier League. At the end of the 2019/20 campaign, Toon legend Alan Shearer named Henderson in his Team of the Season, for his performances on loan at Sheffield United. He said:

“It was tough to leave out Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson, but Sheffield United’s season has been one of the best stories of the campaign and Henderson has been key to their success.

“The Manchester United loanee has kept 10 clean sheets and his bravery and confidence belie his 23 years. He is a star in the making.”

This suggests that he has the ability to come in and make an impact for the Magpies between the sticks. Howe's previous with Ramsdale also indicates that he could help Henderson to take the next step in his career and ensure that the titan develops as a player, which is why this could be a shrewd transfer move by the club in January.

AND in other news, "I'm told" - Craig Hope issues exciting NUFC claim that'll surely leave fans buzzing...