‘Of Course’ – Newcastle United Star ‘Not Happy’ With How Recent Months Unfolded | OneFootball

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Newcastle United star Nick Woltemade has admitted that the past few months have not unfolded as he would have hoped at St James’ Park.

The German arrived on Tyneside last summer as the club’s record signing, tasked with filling the void left by Alexander Isak’s departure.

Following his exit, Stuttgart boss Sebastian Hoeness stressed that the Bundesliga outfit had lost a unique striker profile, underlining the forward’s reputation.

His Germany and club team-mate Malick Thiaw also made clear his belief in the forward’s ability, insisting that Woltemade possesses undisputed quality.

The sizeable expectations surrounding the striker appeared justified during the early stages of his Newcastle career, with a goal on his debut followed by a string of encouraging performances during the first half of the season.

This calendar year has proven far more challenging, with the German managing just one Premier League goal and at times falling out of favour in Eddie Howe’s starting lineup, even sometimes being played in midfield.

The 24-year-old did force his way back into the side for all three of the Magpies’ final league matches of the campaign, though he was not deployed in his natural number nine role.

Woltemade acknowledged that the downturn has been frustrating, particularly given the encouraging manner in which his Newcastle career began, and the contrast between those two periods has made the experience more difficult to process.

He also revealed that he has worked on handling setbacks in a different way, explaining that he no longer allows difficult moments to affect him as heavily as they once would have and has learned the importance of stopping negative thoughts from escalating.

Woltemade told German outlet Stern: “Of course, I’m not happy with how things have gone in the past few months – especially because my start in Newcastle was so strong.

“That raised expectations, including for me.

“So when things don’t go well for a while, it’s all the more disappointing.

“I no longer let things that can be stressful get to me so much.

“Before, in such a situation, I would have got caught in a negative spiral of thoughts and let myself be dragged down.

“Today, I know that I have to put on the brakes early on.”

Speculation surrounding his future has continued to surface and, in May, it emerged that Atletico Madrid were considering a move for the German.

Although Woltemade is not actively seeking to leave St James’ Park, there have been suggestions that he has received enquiries about a possible transfer.

The forward’s immediate focus will now be on experiencing his first World Cup and helping Germany make a strong impression on the biggest stage.