Newcastle United star is 'best in the Premier League' in his position

Newcastle United have the best right-back in the Premier League right now in Tino Livramento, according to former Liverpool and England defender Glen Johnson. The former Chelsea and Southampton full-back has established himself in the United side this season following an impressive first campaign on Tyneside.

He is competing with Kieran Trippier for the right-back slot, but with the ex-England star currently out through injury, Livramento has made the position his own with a series of impressive performances. He caught the eye again in the 1-0 win over Arsenal on Saturday, and Johnson feels there is no one currently playing better in that position than the 21-year-old.

Newcastle are now seeing the benefit of a big financial outlay on Livramento and left-back Lewis Hall, with the young pair flourishing under Eddie Howe this season. Johnson, who played 200 games for Liverpool and won 54 England caps, knows what it takes to stand out as a Premier League full-back, and feels Livramento has it all.

"I think Tino Livramento is the best right back at this moment in time in the Premier League," Johnson told 10bet. "He seems to be getting better week by week.

"He put in another fantastic performance this weekend against Arsenal. There’s nothing too fancy or too flash to his game, but he does the basic stuff really well and obviously everyone's always spoke about his potential. I think now he’s flourishing and he's playing every week in a team that's doing well, which has given him confidence. He seems to be building on every performance at the moment.

"I think Lewis Hall has got the potential to be called up into an England squad this season. I think there's still a bridge to gap and he will definitely be looking to do that with his performances.

"The first stage of any playing career is to get into the first team and then as soon as you're in the first team you want the next milestone. If he's playing week in, week out in the Premier League, and playing well, then eventually he’s going to throw his name into the hat. I think he needs to raise his level a little bit but there's nothing to show that he’s not capable."

Trippier could return to the United squad after the international break, giving Howe a big selection dilemma. However, Livramento's form in recent games could ensure he stays in the side.

How to follow our NUFC WhatsApp channel

Did you know you can now get Newcastle United stories on WhatsApp? As well as our NUFC communities, we also have a channel dedicated to sending you the best news, opinion and analysis on all things black-and-white.

All you have to do is follow our channel on WhatsApp by clicking this link or you can find us by searching Chronicle Newcastle United.

Updates will then automatically appear if you select the Updates option on your WhatsApp menu and selecting the 'Chronicle - Newcastle United' channel. It's as easy as that. There are already thousands signed up, but remember to turn your notifications on so don't miss out.