Newcastle United legend Lee Clark believes Allan Saint-Maximin has the ability to match the heights of Magpies hero David Ginola.
Clark played alongside Ginola at Newcastle and sees similarities between his old teammate and fellow Frenchman Saint-Maximin.
Signed from Nice in August, Saint-Maximin has been a revelation for Newcastle in his first season in England, quickly establishing himself as a favourite of the Toon Army.
Among his fans is Clark, with the former Newcastle captain eager to highlight the work Saint-Maximin does off the ball, along with all the buzz and excitement he generates when in possession.
In his column for Tribalfootball, Clark declared: "He has been in such outstanding form, the standout player. He is somebody who can take the team from defence to attack in a matter of seconds and has such a fantastic balance and ability to go past players at speed as well. He also seems to do a lot of unseen work off the ball which goes down with his manager and his teammates
"He's a player that will have fans on the edge of their seats when they return to St. James' Park."
Given his impact, it was inevitable Saint-Maximin would attract interest from better placed clubs. Indeed, it's emerged both Arsenal and Italy's Napoli have been monitoring the France international this season.
Clark is well aware of the transfer rumours and says it is crucial for the club that they do all they can to keep hold of the midfielder.
He continued: "But what happens with a player like that when he stands out is other clubs show an interest, clubs who could potentially be in a better position than Newcastle when the season ends and provide him with European football. It's going to be imperative that the club can try and hold onto him.
"It looks like he has a really strong relationship with Steve Bruce, so that could be an important part of him staying. He seems to enjoy playing for the club and has a really strong relationship with the supporters. Hopefully that is enough for him to stick around next season, where the club can build and show him that they have their own ambitions to try and get higher up the Premier League and to be competing for European places."
