10 Newcastle Players Who Turned Around A Bad Start

7. Davide Santon

Davide Santon's time on Tyneside is a bit of an anomaly, in that he was once referred to as 'the next Paolo Maldini' by Jose Mourinho, and yet has fluttered for form at the club since his arrival in 2011. However, while his defensive frailties have been exposed on a number of occasions, and his penchant for shooting usually ends up in a spectator receiving a sore jaw, he has steadily improved year on year since signing for £5.3 million from Inter Milan. However, he could not have gotten off to a worst start. Only last year, Mourinho stated that Santon has 'suffered misfortunes' in terms of his blighted injury record. Having damaged cartilage in his right knee while at Inter Milan, Santon's knee would frequently swell up after playing and training, even after his move to Tyneside. Fittingly, the 20 year old left back didn't make his debut until a substitute appearance against Spurs in mid-October, and the supporters weren't treated to witnessing their newly-acquired start his first game until December in a 4-2 humiliation at Carrow Road. An ever-present for the rest of the season, he played 31 times during the club's ascent to fifth place in the league the following season. ''I don't have liquid inside it anymore. The fluid has gone. My knee is so much better now. I don't have a problem. I feel good. This year I'm enjoying everything. When I go on the pitch now I just really feel much more confident - although I can still improve a lot.'' - Davide Santon, October 2012.