Lewis Hall's newest comments, speaking to the Chronicle Live about his new long-term contract at Newcastle United, are obviously good news.
It confirms that, whilst Hall acknowledged the Manchester United interest during the summer, he felt as though Tyneside was still the place for him to continue his career, labelling staying as a 'no-brainer'.
The arrival of Matthias Jaissle, new players, new ambition and new feeling around the club were all factors in the England international's reasons for staying. That in itself is an indicator that something is going right behind the scenes.
But there is one part of Hall's comments that shouldn't be overlooked and that should keep the Geordie faithful's expectations under control going forward.
“We've got ambitions and as long as we achieve these ambitions and achieve what we want to achieve, I'm sure I'll be here for a long time.”
That is a massively positive outlook for the future of Newcastle United, but it also provides a very real reminder that the club can't afford to stand still and stagnate as it did last season.
Hall staying is huge
Hall staying is huge, of course because there were interested parties who he decided against joining, but perhaps more importantly because he is clearly still enjoying his football on Tyneside - despite what the reports last season and over the summer would tell you.
That seems to largely be down to Matthias Jaissle's arrival, with Hall speaking openly about the impact he has had on the football club, and him personally, during his short time as manager.
“After not many conversations, not many training sessions, I knew that the manager was going to be really good for this club.
“He gives me the licence to express myself as long as I do the defensive work and do the running that's required for this position, which is quite a lot of work.
"But I'm happy to do it as long as it benefits the team. He's been a positive for everyone who's come in so far.”
These comments aren't just an admission that he likes Jaissle as a person or even as a coach but, perhaps more substantially, they show that Hall genuinely feels like the German's system and tactics suit his attributes as a player and that he is enjoying playing football.
That is a sentiment that bodes very well for his Newcastle United future, especially when paired with that new contract he signed until 2031.
The sentence Newcastle fans should pay attention to
Whilst all of those comments are well and good, it is the one mentioned in the introduction to this article that we should be paying attention to and keeping in mind.
“As long as we achieve these ambitions and achieve what we want to achieve, I'm sure I'll be here for a long time.”
Now there's nothing drastically negative here, that isn't the argument. Hall isn't angling to leave, saying that he isn't going to see out his contract or even suggesting that there is anything else on his mind but Newcastle United.
But what he is doing is being very honest and is giving a very strong insight into what will keep the Magpies' best players around long-term, while also providing a reminder that departures will continue to be a feature of this 'Newcastle 2.0' period.
Hall is a player with the ambition, and ability, to go the very top - there is no doubt about that. So, to do that, what he needs is a club who can prove they are heading in the direction of winning and challenging for trophies on a consistent basis.
If that isn't the case, that's when Newcastle United may have a real problem with departures on their hands once again.
Newcastle can't afford to stand still
It isn't some sort of new revelation that, if the club stand still, top players will begin to get unsettled. This past summer was a damning example of that, with Gordon, Tonali and Bruno all leaving after a poor season.
And it is actually quite refreshing to see a player like Hall, who we worried about losing all summer, publicly back the club's ambition on record. But it does create an obligation for the club moving forward.
The hierarchy have clearly convinced Hall that the club is on a trajectory to achieve all of the things he wants to see, but it is now on Matthias Jaissle to continue convincing him of that over the season and in years to come.
And, whilst that is the case for Hall now, we all need to remember that it will once again be the case when Sean Steur attracts interest, when Fernández-Pardo attracts interest, when Amar Dedic attracts interest - so on and so forth.
So, when those things happen, Newcastle fans will have to hope the club can do exactly what it did with Hall this summer and convince its best players that their ambitions can be achieved on Tyneside.
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