Newcastle United lost several major first-team players during the summer, but Lewis Hall was one member of Matthias Jaissle’s squad the club was determined to keep. The 22-year-old has since signed a new contract through 2031, receiving a two-year extension and pay rise.
Hall has now broken his silence on the Manchester United interest that followed him throughout the summer, telling the Shields Gazette’s Charlie Bennett that the speculation never distracted him from Newcastle.
“No, honestly, it didn’t
(affect me),” Hall said. “I guess whenever you’re linked with another team, you know that you’re doing something right. I guess it’s just a credit to your own performances and how you are as a player, how you are as a person. So I took that as a positive.”
Hall also explained that Jaissle’s arrival helped convince him that remaining at St James’ Park was the right decision.
“At the same time, I knew how much I loved playing here, and since the manager came in, I knew the ambitions and what we wanted to achieve,” Hall said. “After not many conversations, not many training sessions, I knew that the manager was going to be really good for this club.”
Hall described signing his extension as a “no-brainer” and indicated that he sees his future on Tyneside extending well beyond the immediate term.
“We’ve got ambitions and, as long as we achieve these ambitions and achieve what we want to achieve, I’m sure I’ll be here for a long time,” Hall said.
The comments follow Hall’s man-of-the-match performance in Newcastle’s 2-1 victory over Hull City, when he also scored. After the summer departures of Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon, securing Hall’s long-term commitment represents an important piece of continuity for Jaissle’s rebuilt squad.
Do you think Hall will become Newcastle’s leader over the next several seasons, or is a sale in the near horizon? Share your thoughts in the comments.
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