Eddie Howe believes that Sandro Tonali showed remorse at Newcastle United by taking a pay cut after being found guilty of betting offences.
Howe spoke of Tonali's determination to right some of the wrongs after he was handed a 10-month FIFA ban for illegal betting in both Italy and England. He was handed a warning by the FA, a £20,000 fine and a suspended two-month ban which will come into force if he is caught betting again.
Howe, speaking ahead of the trip to Burnley, said: "Instantly when this whole thing started, he was very keen to hold his hands up and help everybody uncover it all.
READ MORE: The roller-coaster summer ahead as Adidas prepare for big return
READ MORE: Sandro Tonali's return date confirmed as he escapes fresh FA ban
"He was very sorry for what he'd done and admitted he had issues and needed help. I think he deserves credit for that because it's not easy when you are in that situation to help the authorities and admit you've done something wrong.
"That certainly helped him in this process and it has helped him deal with what happened, and put it behind him. Now he moves on to the next phase of his life."
Howe indicated that the fact Tonali was prepared to see his wages reduced sums up that he is keen to atone for his errors.
Howe said: "It was something he wanted to do. He felt the guilt after joining a new club and that was something he wanted to show the club in good faith, that he was sorry and he is determined to put it behind him and learn from it.
"It's all good signs for the future from us that we have a very good human being in the football club and somebody is clean now and will put it behind him and show all the good he can do for Newcastle United."
The big positive for Tonali and Newcastle is that he now has light at the end of the tunnel and will only miss six more Premier League games if he keeps his nose clean.
The Newcastle head coach added: "It’s the right decision (FA’s decision over Tonali), I think the FA have arrived at the ban that isn’t extended. Sandro’s currently working hard behind the scenes, he’s trained very well. But as always, referring to this situation, we’re still supporting him and helping him as he serves his time. He’s been very good, very consistent.
"Of course, I see a small fraction of his life, the time he is at the training ground. He’s a very good professional, he’s trained very well, but he’s relatively quiet, that’s just his personality. I wouldn’t necessarily see what goes on beneath the surface, I’m sure he’s had difficult moments but he’s done really well."
Newcastle United transfer news straight to your phone on WhatsApp
It's quick and easy to join. Just click this link and select 'Join Community' to get started.
Plus you can follow our new Newcastle United channel right here - just follow this link
Your informational will be hidden, you'll only ever receive messages from the Chronicle Live sports team, and you can leave any time you like. For more information, click here. You can read our Privacy Notice here.
