Four NUFC players featured in ESPN's "FC 100 for 2023"

Nick Pope, Kieran Trippier, Bruno Guimarães, and Alexander Isak all feature in the 2023 ESPN FC 100, which is a positional breakdown of the best players in world football.

ESPN claims that its FC 100 list "gives each position their due and gives readers the closest thing to a position-by-position depth chart across world football".

Pope ranks #10 in the world at goalkeeper, with his transfer from Burnley last summer being hailed as one of the "best moves" made by any Premier League side. ESPN writer Bill Connelly outlines how Pope saved 73% of shots on target last season and "continued his evolution into one of the more well-rounded keepers in the world's best league".

Of all Premier League shot-stoppers, only Emiliano Martinez of Aston Villa (#9), Aaron Ramsdale of Arsenal (#8), Ederson of Manchester City (#7), and Álisson of Liverpool (#3) appear above Pope. Thibaut Courtois of Real Madrid heads the list and Jordan Pickford is nowhere to be seen. Shame.

Trippier is considered to have been the #2 right-back in the world in 2023, the highest ranking of any Newcastle United player on ESPN's list. Only beaten to the number one spot by Achraf Hakimi of Paris Saint-Germain, Trippier is ahead of England colleagues Kyle Walker (#3), Reece James (#4), and Trent Alexander-Arnold (#6).

Recognising our on-field captain as a "transformative signing", ESPN writer Rob Dawson highlights how only Alexander-Arnold and his Liverpool colleague Andrew Robertson provided more assists from full-back in the 2022/23 Premier League campaign.

In central midfield, Guimarães is considered #10 in the world in an all-star cast that includes Premier League colleagues Alexis Mac Allister of Liverpool (#7), Casemiro of Manchester United (#6), and Manchester City's Rodri (#2). Unsurprisingly, Jude Bellingham, now of Real Madrid, is the writers' number-one choice here.

ESPN's James Tyler credits Bruno for both his attacking and defensive contributions and also recognises his ability to do things with the ball that other midfielders cannot or simply will not. Calling him a "player who makes things happen", Tyler is effusive in his praise for our Brazilian #39 and feels he's set for even bigger things in 2023/24.

Up front, Isak is ranked #8 out of all strikers in the world. Erling Haaland slots in as an obvious #1, but we're not sure that Gabriel Jesus (#6) and Randal Kolo Muani (#7) merit places ahead of our ice-cool Swede on the list. It's harder to argue against the legendary trio of Karim Benzema (#2), Harry Kane (#3), and Robert Lewandowski (#5), though.

Rob Dawson explains the Isak pick with a reference to the assist of the season at Everton and also brings up the comparisons with the great Thierry Henry that cropped up more and more in 2022/23. Tantalisingly, Dawson also notes that there's a feeling around St. James' Park that Isak, much like Sam Fender, is only just getting started.

Let's just gloss over the fact that Eddie Howe is nowhere to be seen in the manager list, despite Roberto De Zerbi (#8), Erik ten Hag (#7), Jürgen Klopp (#5), and Mikel Arteta (#4) all featuring, shall we?

The criminally underrated Fabian Schär does get a shoutout in the centre-backs section when Bill Connelly is discussing Napoli's Kim Min-Jae, though, which is good to see. "Here's a complete list of defenders in Europe's Big Five leagues who A) recorded at least 210 ball recoveries, B) won at least 60% of their duels and C) contributed at least four combined league goals and assists: Newcastle's Fabian Schär and Min-Jae."

Club-wise only Manchester City (12), Arsenal (seven), Liverpool (five), and Manchester United (five) have more players in the list than Newcastle from the Premier League. Chelsea only have two and Spurs have just one. The "Big Six" has truly become the "Big Seven", and almost overnight.

Here's the full list by position, going from back to front:

Goalkeepers

Right-backs

Centre-backs

Left-backs

Central Midfielders

Attacking Midfielders

Wingers

Forwards

Strikers

Managers

If you want to read the entire write-up for yourself, here's a link to the full ESPN FC 100 for 2023.