How Nick Woltemade Is Helping Newcastle Thrive Without Alexander Isak

‎Eddie Howe referenced the short memories within football, though he wasn’t strictly talking about how Nick Woltemade has helped Newcastle move past the specter of Alexander Isak yet he could have been.

‎Meanwhile, the Swede has endured a challenging start to life at Liverpool after a British-record transfer, while Woltemade has looked instantly at home from the moment he arrived in August.

‎Shearer. Keegan. Isak. Woltemade? Following his goal in the League Cup win against Tottenham, Nick Woltemade has been likened to Newcastle’s former greats.

‎”I operate differently on the pitch than former Newcastle strikers. I rarely play deep and prefer to have the ball at my feet,” explained the 23-year-old to Sky Sports, who has enjoyed a terrific start to life at the Magpies.

‎Woltemade admits it was relatively easy adapting to the flow of English football, having joined the club from Bundesliga side Stuttgart in the summer to replace Alexander Isak.

‎”It was very easy for me to arrive in Newcastle. Everyone spoke to me a lot from day one,” Woltemade said.

‎”(It) made it easier for (me) to come to a foreign country with a foreign language. There are also German-speaking players like Fabian Schär and Malick Thiaw at the club, with whom I get on well.”

‎Karl-Heinz Rummenigge may have doubts about Newcastle paying £69m for the striker.

‎Bayern Munich legend is looking increasingly foolish after Woltemade’s early second-half header, which takes him to five goals in seven and six in nine starts since his move.

‎With six goals in eleven appearances, the excitement around Newcastle’s £69m summer signing has built steadily.

‎Following their 2-0 Carabao Cup victory over Spurs, the Telegraph led with: “Newcastle already have a new hero.”

‎Woltemade’s relentless work rate has won praise from fans and teammates alike.

‎”For 90 minutes, he’s the first player to defend and the first to attack. It’s great to play with a striker like Nick,” team-mate Sandro Tonali said.

‎Newcastle head to a stumbling West Ham before taking on Athletic Bilbao in the Champions League. Few expect Woltemade’s goal tally to stop rising in the coming days.