'It was emotional' - Eddie Howe reveals it was his idea to send Sandro Tonali on lap of honour after Newcastle's 4-0 win over Crystal Palace

Newcastle coach Eddie Howe says it was his idea to send Sandro Tonali on a lap of honour at St James' Park after a difficult week for the midfielder.

Tonali could be suspended from football for around three years after he was implicated in a betting scandal alongside Italy team-mates Nicolo Fagioli and Nicolo Zaniolo.

The 23-year-old risks a more severe punishment than his compatriots after he reportedly admitted to placing bets on matches involving AC Milan while he was still under contract with the club, though he stresses he did not play in the games in question.

Tonali, who joined Newcastle from Milan in the summer transfer window, came off the bench to play the final 20 minutes of the Magpies' 4-0 win against Crystal Palace on home soil. He was then at the front of the line as the team circled the field to applaud the fans after the final whistle.

Howe has said it was his idea to have the player front and centre in front of the supporters and was pleased with the crowd's reaction.

"It sort of came to me when we were doing our walk that I wanted him to be at the front, to see the love closer up," he said. "So it’s a big thank you from me to our supporters. That reception at the end was incredible and it was emotional.

"Sandro is going through an incredibly emotional time and the supporters reacted how I hoped they would. I could feel the love between him and them and that will do him the world of good, he’ll feel much better. The hardest part is ahead, but it’s great for him to know he’s got the support of the senior management and the supporters, they’re the most important.

He very much wanted to play and perform, for sure. There was no decision to make for me, I could see that from how he’s trained, so there wasn’t a part of me that went, “He’s not ready to play football”. it was just about introducing him at the right time, and I thought he did well after he came on.

"Hopefully this is a step forward to him for moving forward in his life. He’s very level. Very rarely do you outwardly see the emotion, but you know it’s in there. He’s a private guy and keeps things in check really well. I’m sure he’s massively boosted by today."

Newcastle released a statement this week to declare their support for Tonali as the investigation continues. It is not yet known when a decision regarding his expected punishment will be announced.

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