There are few players who encapsulate the transformation of Newcastle United under Eddie Howe more than Fabian Schar. The Swiss defender always showed signs of his true class after joining from Deportivo la Coruna in 2017 for just PS4million, but it's only been in the last two seasons that he has added consistency to his game.

He was a vital cog in the defence which kept so many clean sheets last term as the Magpies qualified for the Champions League against all the odds, forming a formidable partnership with Sven Botman at the heart of United's defence. While this season has been a little different due to the club's crippling injury issues, Schar has continued to be a shining beacon of consistency.

Injuries have meant he has partnered Botman, Jamaal Lascelles and now Dan Burn in central defence, but the 32-year-old's performances have rarely been impacted. Few will forget his stunning strike to cap United's 4-1 Champions League win over Paris St-Germain - and he thought he had added another goal to his tally in the 1-0 win over Fulham last weekend.

VAR intervened to rule the goal out for a supposed foul by Burn in the build-up, but his display caught the eye of former Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp. He named Schar in his Premier League team of the week, and was full of praise for his contribution throughout the season

"Fabian Schar has had another great season for Newcastle and was superb against Fulham at Craven Cottage at the weekend," Redknapp told sports betting site BetVictor. "Obviously, Newcastle have had massive injury issues of late, but this guy has been the one constant in the side and someone that Eddie Howe can always rely on."

With Botman and Lascelles ruled out for the remainder of the season, Schar and Burn will continue to develop their partnership in the final seven games. With Kieran Trippier also currently ruled out, the pair's experience is vital with the likes of Lewis Hall given their chance.