After a year of standing still, Newcastle United’s running man Harvey Barnes wants to kick-start his St James’ Park career and plot a fast-track into the England set-up.
Barnes was one of Newcastle’s big transfer bets a year ago, a £38m signing long identified by Eddie Howe as the personification of his “intensity is our identity” mantra.
There was genuine excitement at brokering a deal for a player who could “plug in and play” in a system set up to “swarm” opponents.
Indeed the club shipped out maverick Allan Saint-Maximin to Saudi Arabia to give them the profitability and sustainability rules (PSR) headroom to make it happen and it felt like a smart, logical move to supplement Howe’s squad with more pace, energy and cutting edge.
But in a season where black and white blurred into shades of grey, Barnes lost career momentum as Newcastle’s season frayed at the edges.
“Kept on the side of things” at Leicester City as he awaited a bid from Newcastle that was long trailed, he admits he was “playing catch up” even before he pitched up on Tyneside.
And then he suffered a rare injury to ligaments in his foot that is known as “turf toe” which ended up wiping five months off his season and confounded physios and medical experts.
For the first time he details the extent of the injury frustrations how a year of change off the field means – by Barnes’ own admission – Newcastle fans are yet to see the best of him.
“Last year was up and down, it obviously wasn’t the start [at Newcastle] I was hoping for,” Barnes – an engaging, open and honest interviewee – says.
“[I had] the injury and then it took longer than I thought to get back, which is always frustrating. When you come into a new club, you’re always desperate to make a good impression but the injury stalled that.
“There were glimpses when I came back but it can sometimes be tough when you’re not playing regularly, you’re in and out of the team and your fitness probably isn’t 100 per cent, then you’re never really going to see the best of a player and I definitely think Newcastle fans haven’t seen the best of me yet.”
After a hard pre-season that has encompassed gruelling training camps at the Adidas headquarters in Bavaria before a week in stifling Tokyo heat, Barnes should be in a position to hit the ground running.
He certainly gives the impression of a man determined to exorcise the demons of last year’s injury, which was suffered after making an explosive impact from the bench in a 5-1 opening day defeat of Aston Villa.
That ended up being a bit of a mirage for Newcastle’s season, which is a metaphor for Barnes’ own Magpies career to date.
“Initially the injury was going to be around 12 weeks,” he recalls.
“Then when it got to around that point, there were a few different opinions from specialists and doctors. Some were saying you need an operation, some were saying you don’t.
“It was a rare injury anyway so when you’re getting mixed opinions it can sometimes be tough. As a player, you want to know for sure, you almost prefer to have a straightforward injury where there is only one solution. This wasn’t one of them, as there were different opinions and you almost have to go down the route of one.
“In the end there was no operation, it was more having to build up for a bit longer and give it that bit more time, which we did. For a player it is frustrating not knowing the exact length of time you’re going to be out for. I was working hard, of course, and then in the end it was around four and a half or five months by the time I was back fit.”
The situation was complicated by Barnes becoming a father for the first time, with baby Harper arriving just a few days before he suffered injury.
It contributed to what he reflects on now as a “tough” period in his life.
“Obviously with the injury, being a new dad, all these different things going on, it was tough and with the injury itself you have up-and-down days. I’m sure other players would say the same,” he says.
“You have days when you feel great and your motivation is up high, then you have other days when it’s tough. That’s where a lot of the staff at the club were great. They all made sure that they got me through the days and weeks, and that’s important that you’re still doing the work, even when you might not feel 100 per cent.
“For me, there was a lot going on with becoming a dad and getting injured at the same time.”
A regular theme from new arrivals at Newcastle is how spot on Howe’s man-management is in their down times. Although his approach to training, tactics and team building is meticulous there is also a human side to the Newcastle boss that his players clearly love.
He has been known to bring in books on parenting to the new fathers in his squad and had “a few” conversations with Barnes when his daughter arrived. It was hugely appreciated, especially as Barnes’ rehab stretched into the deep mid-winter.
“He’s really good with helping you to settle,” Barnes enthuses.
“He really understands the challenges that players will face when they are moving clubs, whether from abroad or the other end of the country.
“The family situation, he gets a really good understanding of the family situation of each player and he can help you with that. If there are certain things you need, he’ll always be there. More than anything his door is always open for you to go and have that chat.
“As a player, you always know – do you need to go and have a chat or if you want to, then he’s always there, which is great. He did give me a few good conversations about my daughter and the different challenges that you were going to face as a dad.”
Barnes now hopes to repay Howe with performances that back up Newcastle’s judgement in signing him.
His optimism is based on better understanding Howe’s tactical demands and be prepared to cope with the physical intensity of the system.
“There are a lot of things to learn,” he admits.
“There are certain demands which you have to meet. In terms of the way of playing and also the tactical side of that.
“The style of play that we play here, you need to get used to that. The best way to do that is by playing games.
“You can run all over the training pitch, but being in a match situation and playing in game, after game after game is the best way of doing that for me.
“Last year it was difficult to do that, an injury and then stop-start when you come back in.
“For sure, this year, after a good pre-season, I think that that’ll be the best way to get up to that speed and be ready.”
Barnes still has international aspirations, initially agreeing that one of his goals for the 2024-25 season is to return to the England set-up.
His sole cap came in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Wales in 2020.
“As a player, that is the goal, that is the ambition,” he said.
“I’ve obviously had a taste of it, a good few years ago now, but it’s been too long really. It’d be nice to first of all get playing here and starting games, helping the team as much as I can.
“Then when you’re doing that at a massive club like this, I did it at Leicester but then that sort of thing is fresh and you can get back in those conversations.
“Any English player, they want to be involved in the national set-up.”
So far, so straightforward. But there’s a little equivocation when he’s asked about reports he might switch allegiance to Scotland, who he qualifies for through his maternal grandparents.
“Well I’m still eligible to play for Scotland,” he says.
Asked directly if he’d declare for Scotland if a call from England doesn’t come, he admits he “doesn’t really know” how to best answer the question.
“There’s been one or two conversations, but there’s not been too much detail into that,” he says.
“To be honest, I haven’t really brought it in as part of my thought process yet. It’s not really been a serious conversation, so it’s not something I’ve really thought too much on.
“The main focus is to get back, first of all playing for Newcastle, and then see what happens.”
For club and country, this feels like a big year for Barnes.
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