Newcastle United returned to winning ways with victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League on Sunday, with that 2-1 victory seeing experienced ace Fabian Schar continue his fine campaign with another dominant performance at the heart of the backline.
Part of the division's best defence – having shipped just 18 league goals this season – the 31-year-old has been a key figure in the Magpies' resurgence so far this term, having started 23 games in the top-flight, while recording ten clean sheets in that time.
The latest outing at St James' Park saw the Switzerland international produce a 'strong defensive display' – in the words of The Chronicle's Lee Ryder – alongside summer signing Sven Botman, having established a rock-solid pairing with the towering Dutchman.
Despite having previously looked like a "walking mistake" – in the words of journalist John Gibson – the former Deportivo La Coruna man has been rejuvenated by the arrival of Eddie Howe in the dugout, with pundit Harry Redknapp writing that the centre-back's quality has at times gone "under the radar".
With the 75-cap titan having just over a year left to run on his existing deal, however, it remains to be seen just how long he will remain as a key figure in Howe's set-up, with the Newcastle boss likely to be already plotting to find a suitable, youthful heir to the 6 foot 1 gem.
The former Bournemouth boss could well look to the youth ranks to find an ideal candidate for that role, with 20-year-old Charlie Wiggett seemingly having the required traits to make it at first team level.
Who is Newcastle's Charlie Wiggett?
Signed from Chelsea back in June 2021, Wiggett has established himself as a reliable presence in the academy set-up over the last 18 months or so, notably racking up 41 appearances for the club's U21 side, including 15 outings across all fronts this term.
As the player himself noted at the time of his arrival, he is keen to be something of a "leader" on the pitch and "encourage" those around him, while academy director Steve Harper also noted that the Magpies had picked up on the youngster's "leadership qualities".
Such traits undoubtedly mirror that of Schar, with Howe having lauded the £40k-per-week man as a leading figure in the side last year: "He's got vast experience, I really like him as a player. Technically he's a very good footballer & he has proven he can defend very effectively in the team structure we've given him. He's a role model & a leader for young players."
Wiggett – who is said to idolise Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk – also mirrors the Swiss star due to his threat at the other end of the pitch as he has seven goals to his name at youth level to date, while Schar has a respectable tally of ten goals in 128 games for the club in all competitions.
The Reading-born rock also showed his defensive prowess in the EFL trophy earlier in the campaign having averaged four clearances and 2.5 tackles per game from his two outings, while Schar averages 4.3 clearances and 1.2 tackles per 90 in the league – albeit while having feature far more regularly.
That likeness should indicate that rather than looking to the transfer market to find a suitable successor to the latter man, Howe and co can put their trust in the former Stamford Bridge starlet instead.
