"?Newcastle United left Elland Road this weekend as 2-0 winners after a hard fought game against Leeds United and in a team performance that was far from vintage, one man showed his manager just why he deserves a contract extension at St James' Park.
Vurnon Anita is currently in limbo, with his contract coming to end in June; the Dutchman is waiting for an offer of an extension from manager Rafael Benitez. The former Ajax man faced criticism in his first few seasons on Tyneside, labelled small, too weak and not Premier League quality.
But under Benitez, the versatile player has shown just why the Magpies forked out £6.7 million back in 2012 and at only 27, Anita will be entering the peak years of his career.
And it could be argued that the criticism he faced in his early years in England was unfair, and far from having a resurgence under Benitez, his performances are simply now being noticed. For some, he has been underrated rather than a weak link; doing the dirty work that largely goes unnoticed "? especially when the team were losing week in week out.
But now, with victories a more than a regular occurrence, Anita is starting to get the plaudits he has always deserved. Now at home at right-back, Anita shows pace, the ability to tackle and more importantly, a confidence on the ball that is proving invaluable to the Magpies as they look for promotion back to the Premier League.
He grabbed an assist against Leeds United, laying the ball on a plate for Dwight Gayle to open the scoring, rounding off a wonderful team goal. His calmness on the ball is important as is his ability to pick a pass - and while he's small in stature, he still wins a fair few battles in the air.Added to that, he is a nippy little player with strength few give him credit for.
And despite the criticism of his early years, Anita has still notched up 138 appearances for the Magpies and has clearly endeared himself to Benitez. For a player of his versatility, someone who can play as full-back as well as in the centre of the park, he will prove invaluable for a squad finding its feet back in the Premier League, should the club gain promotion.
With today's prices, letting Anita go should be unthinkable because the cost of replacing him would be expensive both in terms of transfer fees and wages.
He might not have the strength of Yaya Toure or the pace of Nathaniel Clyne, but Anita is proving himself as a stalwart of this Newcastle United team, and deserves to play out the peaks years of his career in the Premier League with Rafael Benitez.