Steve Bruce outlines the biggest improvement Saint-Maximin can make

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Newcastle United winger Allan Saint-Maximin can reach the next level – if he just improves his end product.

That’s the view of manager Steve Bruce, who was speaking about his £16.5 million summer capture (BBC Sport) after he tore West Ham United apart at the weekend.

The French forward couldn’t find the net, but was a thorn in the Hammers side at the London Stadium all afternoon.

Saint-Maximin, 22, was a constant threat against Manuel Pellegrini’s team, and he should really have opened his account for the Magpies.

Bruce was pleased with the player’s performance though, and believes he isn’t far off becoming a really dangerous Premier League player.

He said (Chronicle): “He’s quick and he takes you. It’s natural. You cannot coach it. You’re either born with it – I believe he learned on the streets of France – and you can see.

“He just has to improve on the final thing, take the right pass, but that hopefully will come with time and experience because he’s only a young boy. He’s only 22. When you think Longy’s 22, it puts it into perspective.”

TBR’s view – Saint-Maximin’s best will soon come

As Bruce says, Saint-Maximin has that natural ability – it’s simply a case of making better decisions on the pitch.

As soon as he starts to make better use of the ball in the crucial areas, Saint-Maximin will really start to shine for Newcastle – which is certainly what they need.

Creating chances and scoring goals has been their biggest issue since returning to the Premier League in 2017, but someone like Saint-Maximin can really help address the issue.