Something or someone ignited the va-va-voom in BNW – How good is Nick Woltemade? | OneFootball

A simple question (How good is Big Nick Woltemade?), though not at easy one to answer.

There is a lack of empirical evidence, albeit what I have seen so far has been pretty darned impressive.

Let’s look at the facts. They count for a lot more than my opinion, especially because United invested about £70m while I have seen him play live just the once, in the goalless draw at Bournemouth last month.

United have bought potential; they also needed to replace a top, top striker (in both senses of that word).

The boy from Bremen was born on St Valentine’s Day, 2002, which means he will not turn 24 for another four months.

He played his first Bundesliga game two weeks before his 18th birthday and lasted 58 minutes. Werder Bremen lost 2-1 at Augsburg. By the end of that Covid-disrupted season, he had come off the bench five times. Six appearances, about 90 minutes of action, no goals, six defeats. You might call that a meteoric start to a career, though only if you remember meteors tend to crash to earth from a great height rather than soar where eagles dare. . .

Between that debut in February 2020 and July 2024 he started a mere 14 games for his hometown club, whom he had joined as an eight-year-old. In total he played 34 times as a sub and scored two (2) goals, both in a 2-2 draw at home to Borussia Munchengladbach on May 4, 2024.

The 2020-21 season was almost a carbon copy of his maiden campaign: eight appearances including only the one start, no wins for Bremen and the not so grand total of a single point. Anything else of note? Well, he tasted relegation for the first time and picked up a yellow card against Dortmund, having been let loose on 64 minutes, to no avail. Dortmund won thanks to a late Marco Reus goal.

Bremen started the 2021-22 season in the second tier. Big Nick said farewell to life as a teenager in familiar style: no goals, no wins, though the latter was soon to change. On March 22, Bremen defeated Dyn Dresden 2-1. Victory must have tasted sweet, even though he played his customary role, being sent on after 89 minutes. Niclas Fullkrug netted both goals for Die Werderaner, just in case you were wondering.

So what were the scores on the doors for our favourite German by the end of the season? Seven appearances, all off the bench, a total of less than 60 minutes’ game time, no goals.

In old German, the word “woltemade” roughly translates as light-hearted or of pleasant disposition. His temperament must have been tested in those barren times.

Perhaps he had expected more opportunities in the second tier. What he needed was a fresh start, which was offered by a season on loan at Elversberg, a team on the up but at the time playing in the German third division. Thanks in no small part to Big Nick, who scored 10 goals and made nine assists in 31 games, they won the title. Some reports also suggest he was named the best player in his league, though others say he was named the third-best.

Whatever the truth, he returned to Bremen, who had gained promotion in his absence. He still spent most of his time on the bench with the Bundesliga outfit in 2023-24. The word “promising” can be a curse, especially for a footballer who watches the seasons turn while others block your path to success. It’s hund eat hund.

The 30 appearances in that final campaign with his boyhood club included only one or two in which he played the full match. Tellingly, however, he started eight of the last nine before his contract expired. The supporters and management wanted him to stay. Amid interest from several top domestic teams, he joined Stuttgart.

If his spell with Elversberg turned out to be a false dawn, there was no mistaking his breakthrough season in the city that houses the HQ of Porsche and Mercedes. Something or someone ignited the va-va-voom in BNW. Twelve Bundesliga goals from 18 starts and 11 as a sub. Five goals in five German Cup games, including the opener in the final against Arminia, which Stuttgart won 4-2. The boy from Bremen had hit the big time in the first season of a four-year contract.

That first and last trophy with Stuttgart didn’t mark the end of his campaign. Not by a long chalk. He won his first full cap in the Nations League on June 4, his second four days later, then spearheaded Germany’s run to the final of the Uefa Under-21 championship. A hat-trick in the opener against Slovenia was followed by a goal a game as Germany beat the Czech Republic, Italy and France.

England won 3-2 to retain the title, boosted by a series of superb performances from Tino Livramento and Elliot Anderson, but Big Nick, all 6ft 6in of him, was a cut above the rest.

I watched him throughout the televised tournament and messaged my old mate Paul on June 26. “We need to buy this bloke.” His footwork, vision, eye for goal and all-round skill were clearly exceptional. Not that I thought my wish would come true, because Bayern Munich were already interested and, well, because he had three years to run on his Stuttgart contract. As if . . .

Once United’s hand was forced, we no longer needed somebody to share the workload, we were desperately seeking a new main man. The thought of failing to build on our trophy-winning season was not an option. We could not afford to stand still or slip back, as we had in 2023-24.

Yes, we were buying potential rather than proven long-term achievement. Those charming chaps at Bayern can call us idiots for splashing the cash on a striker who could reasonably be called a one-season wonder. What they fail to understand is a club that has been, almost without exception, a sleeping giant for nearly 70 years is no longer prepared to bide its time. Like so many others, the Bavarians fail to “get us”.

This is what Goaltemade, aka the Tower of Stuttgart, said on an Instagram video when the news broke.

“I’m not asking anyone to understand my decision. As a professional footballer, I want to achieve the highest possible results. I play in the Champions league, I play in the best league in the world and I’m also looking forward to the move.”

The 23-year-old said he could “understand every Stuttgart fan who says, ‘Hey, that was your favourite club. Hey, you always said that you’re a Stuttgart fan.’ Yes, I’ll still remain a Stuttgart fan and will watch every VfB game if I can. “I’ve decided to take the next step, the one I wanted to take, the one I consciously chose and I’m really looking forward to it.

“Despite everything, I wanted to say thank you again and remind everyone of what a great year we had together, and what a great year it was for me too. I’m also very grateful to Stuttgart for allowing me to develop so much athletically. I won my first major title with you, and that will stay with me for ever.”

Talk is cheap, actions speak louder than words, etc, etc. We’ve seen enough stars walk away from Newcastle United to know loyalty is a rare quality in elite football.

My opinion is based on what I have seen of Big Nick at an age-group Uefa tournament and in his few games so far in black-and-white (or green). I’m sure he is nowhere near his peak. Such is his talent, the team can be built around him. That is never something you would suggest of his most recent predecessor.

All we can hope is that this top striker turns out to be a keeper, because Nick Woltemade is a special talent.