Nick Woltemade’s first season at Newcastle United was not exactly a smooth ride for the towering German.
Having some time to reflect on things, the 24-year-old sounds happy to be back with the German national team.
“I may be one of the younger players, but everyone knows what they have in me. My goals helped us qualify for the World Cup. I’m a valued member of the family. People believe in me, and I feel understood,” Woltemade told Stern (as captured by Bild). “At Newcastle, I helped out in other positions,
even as a defensive midfielder. Despite this, some experts still considered me a striker.”
To combat some of the strife, Woltemade has been working with a mental coach, who he has known since his time with SV Elversberg.
“We talk on the phone every two or three weeks, and sometimes he visits me,” Woltemade said. “The intensity of the criticism and the associated unrest surrounding me have surprised me.”
Woltemade is certainly not the first player to go to England and feel that way, but it begs the question on why he let the disappointment of VfB Stuttgart’s refusal to sell him to Bayern Munich propel him into making a decision to join Newcastle when he was not prepared for everything it entailed?
It would be interesting to know if Woltemade would make the same decision if he could do it all over again.
Regardless, Woltemade is currently behind Kai Havertz and Deniz Undav in the German national team’s pecking order and could struggle to get minutes. There could be a few big performances inside of Woltemade, but he will have to earn enough playing time to show them.
If you are looking for more Bayern Munich and German national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on Acast, Spotify, Apple, or any leading podcast distributor…
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