Nagelsmann defends Woltemade amid Newcastle criticism: "He won’t be 80 meters from goal with us" | OneFootball

Despite seeing limited playing time at Newcastle United recently, Nick Woltemade has been included in Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann’s squad for the upcoming friendlies against Switzerland and Ghana.

The 24-year-old forward has faced his fair share of criticism for his recent performances in England. But according to Nagelsmann, Newcastle’s playing style is not doing Woltemade any favours.

“He has often played very deep. When he has to defend as a No. 6, there's a long distance to the goal. He is not a counter-attacking striker who runs 36 km/h. I can promise that he won’t be 80 meters away from goal with us. In such matches, he will not play for us,” the Germany coach said at a press conference on Thursday.

The 38-year-old remains convinced of what Woltemade offers to the team – both as a player and as a person.

“He is a very pleasant person with a strong presence. He is definitely not going through an easy time, but that’s normal. He has done well with us. He can start from the beginning, but also come on as a substitute, because he has an unorthodox style of play,” he said.