EDDIE HOWE admits even he was surprised by the extent to which Newcastle United turned their season around in the last four months, with yesterday’s final-day win at Burnley having enabled the Magpies to finish in 11th position.

Callum Wilson scored a goal in each half as Newcastle signed off in style at Turf Moor, with Maxwell Cornet’s late strike for the hosts insufficient to prevent Burnley being relegated to the Championship.

The Magpies finished 14 points clear of the drop zone, a scenario even Howe admits he could not really have envisaged when he took charge in November.

“I’m not sure I could have said I’d have seen it coming, to be honest with you,” admitted the Newcastle boss. “December was a very difficult month for us. We came in and on the horizon was a very tough month, with Liverpool and Manchester City, and we had a squad that was suffering with injuries at the time, then we suffered the low of Cambridge (in the FA Cup). This was a position that seemed a long, long way away then.

“I have to compliment the players for how they have dug in, for how they have united together. There were plenty of examples throughout the team of players fighting for the shirt, giving their all, and I think the players deserve a huge amount of credit.”

The one downside to yesterday’s win was the sight of Joelinton leaving the field on a stretcher in the first half, but while the Brazilian hobbled away from Turf Moor with his foot in a protective cast, Howe is hoping the extent of his injury is not too severe, with the Brazil squad for this summer’s internationals due to be named in the next couple of weeks.

“It didn’t look good at the time,” admitted Howe. “I could see from the way he went down, I was thinking, ‘This could be serious’. It’s a deep laceration, and I think when the doctor saw him initially, he could see part of his bone.

“It was quite deep, so we knew immediately we had to withdraw him. He was in good spirits in the dressing room though. He had a boot on, but said he was okay, so that’s great news.”