Despite struggling at Marseille last season, the £13m winger is delighted to be on Tyneside and determined to live up to the hype

From Florian Thauvin’s bedroom window in a hotel on Newcastle’s quayside he has an excellent view of the river Tyne. So far, one thing in particular has struck the former Marseille winger about his new habitat. “There’s lot of bridges in this city,” he remarks. “I can see one from my room.”

It is perhaps an appropriate vista for a 22-year-old Steve McClaren trusts will bridge the sizeable physical gap between Ligue 1 and the Premier League before living up to the hype which has seen him dubbed the “new Franck Ribéry”.

Arguably most likely to be deployed as a left winger at St James’ Park, Thauvin can also play as a classic No10 or wide on the right. He first attracted the attentions of Graham Carr, Newcastle’s chief scout, as a youngster at Bastia and, after starring for France in the 2013 World Youth Cup, came close to joining Arsenal.

Last season he struggled in a mainly right-sided capacity at Marseille and ended up in “a flops of the season” XI compiled by L’Equipe. That failed to shake Newcastle’s belief that, in Thauvin’s case, form is temporary but class permanent.

Accordingly, they have invested £13m in the left-footed potential of a creator who joins Georginio Wijnaldum, Aleksandar Mitrovic and Chancel Mbemba as the products of a near £50m Tyneside summer spending spree.

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“Last year was hard for me,” Thauvin says. “But I’m here now and I think I can have a fantastic season. Newcastle have bought very good players this summer, young players like me, and hopefully it can be a springboard for this club, and for me, to go on to big things.”

He is already anxious to show precisely what he can do, preferably against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Saturday. “I’m a fast player on the wing,” he says. “I will keep the ball and give great service to the forwards. I can bring something different to the team.

“Physically, I’m ready to play at Manchester United. I can’t wait to see Old Trafford. It’s a great ground, a massive team and I can’t wait to get out there if the coach says he wants me to. I’m not too sure where I’m going to play yet. It’s up to the coach. But wherever it is, I’ll make sure I’m up to the task.”

Sitting alongside an interpreter, with his girlfriend watching from the back of the room, Thauvin is an amalgam of courtesy and slight shyness but his inner confidence should not be underestimated. Told that Chris Waddle believes he will eventually star for a leading Premier League club, he smiles before replying with typical politeness and trademark assurance.

“First of all, I’d like to thank Chris Waddle for that nice compliment,” he says. “It’s very kind. I hope to be one of the best players in the world. I need to make sure I work hard to achieve that goal.”

He affects unconcern as to whether he will best placed to succeed on the left or the right.

“I like playing both. On the left I can put great crosses in and give good service to the forward. On the right I come inside and shoot or slip a pass in behind the defence. It will be very hard but playing for France at Euro 2016 is definitely a goal. If I can have a good season, I don’t see why not.”

More immediately, he is looking forward to facing Arsenal at St James’ Park on 29 August. “I’ve been told it’s a magnificent atmosphere here,” he said. “Very similar to Marseille’s stadium. I can’t wait.”

The warm mistral wind blowing across the Stade Vélodrome will be replaced by slightly harsher North Sea breezes but other comparisons are more favourable. “I’m surprised in a good way to see such a well organised club here,” he says. “I had my first training session today and it was really, really good. The manager and I have had a long chat. He’s asked me to be an important player. He wants me to get goals and he wants me to supply them too.”

McClaren seems most excited by Thauvin’s ability to supply the sort of crosses David Ginola once delivered. “Florian’s a personality,” Newcastle’s manager says. “He’s still very young and has a long way to go but he’s a player we believe that, in terms of end product, in terms of crosses, can give us what we’ve not had.”