Fabian Schar returned to the Newcastle United starting line-up with goal against Tottenham Hotspur in midweek.
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Fabian Schar has insisted he is “open” to staying at Newcastle United beyond the current campaign.
Signed in 2018 for just £3million by Rafa Benitez, the Swiss defender has been labelled as Newcastle’s best pound-for-pound signing of the Premier League era. Schar has been out of the team in recent weeks but returned to the starting line-up against Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday.
The 33-year-old repaid Eddie Howe’s faith by breaking the deadlock in a 2-0 win. Schar currently sits fourth in the list of Newcastle’s highest scoring defenders (22 goals) - 15 behind the legendary Frank Hudspeth.
Fabian Schar on Newcastle United future
One-year contract extensions have been the norm for Schar in consecutive seasons. He is taking the twilight of his career step by step but is keen to commit to another 12 months at St James’ Park.
“I have said before that I feel at home here,” Schar told The Chronicle. “I know in football you never know what happens and it goes quick. If that's something that can happen, that would be good. I would be open to it of course.
"We need to see what the situation is and what happens in the next few weeks. I will just try to show what I can do with my quality, and the rest we will see."
‘Great to see him back’ - Eddie Howe
Howe’s first big decision as Toon manager was to reintroduce Schar back into the fold. Speaking before the game, he discussed the competitiveness to start at centre-back this season.
“Absolutely (great to see him back),” Howe told reporters. “I think it was important for Fabian to come on and do well because it was a difficult moment for him. He's been an ever-present near enough since I've been here.
“Obviously, the challenge is greater this season with the arrival of Malick (Thiaw) and Sven's form and Dan (Burn's) form. For all the defenders to step up and to play is not easy with the group of defenders that we have. So, I'm delighted with how he played today and that will do him the world of good.”
Eddie Howe on Tottenham Hotspur win
On beating Spurs, Howe said: “Really pleased. When you make the changes that we did (eight changes), you hope to see a performance in line with our identity and expectations, and I thought we got both today.
“I thought the pressing early on in the game was outstanding, and the general attitude of the players was very, very good. Individually, there were some really good performances and, collectively, we were strong. Really pleased for the squad today.”
“You wonder how cohesive it will be (after making so many changes), but from minute one we looked in a really good place. Athletically, I thought we were excellent, and a lot of those players haven’t played regularly, so that’s a testament to their professionalism and how they look after themselves in between games. They got their rewards.”