'he Can Be Special' - Woltemade Needed As Newcastle Fans Turn On Isak

Alexander Isak was obscurity to beryllium seen. Obviously. But Newcastle United's high-profile absentee did not flight nan distant end's wrath astatine Elland Road.

"We don't attraction astir Isak," they chanted during Saturday's goalless tie astatine Leeds United. "He don't attraction astir me, each we attraction astir is NUFC."

What a opposition to nan reception grounds signing Nick Woltemade was given.

The caller presence was mobbed by supporters gathered extracurricular arsenic he made his measurement into nan stadium earlier nan crippled and, connected this evidence, nan nine will request nan Germany striker to deed nan crushed running, peculiarly if Isak gets his wish and joins Liverpool earlier nan model shuts connected Monday evening.

Newcastle, aft all, mustered conscionable a mates of shots connected target astatine Elland Road and person only scored 2 goals successful their opening 3 Premier League games, picking up 4 points from a imaginable nine.

How Newcastle could person utilized Woltemade connected Saturday, but nan forward's £69m move from Stuttgart did not spell done successful clip for him to beryllium registered truthful he watched from nan directors' box.

Woltemade will people request a "period of adjustment", but Newcastle caput coach Eddie Howe has backed his qualities to "translate" to nan Premier League.

"I for illustration his different dimensions to his game," he told BBC Radio 5 Live. "Of people he's a large presence, he's a large man but he has really bully method skills and really bully imaginative ideas astir nan box.

"If he was playing coming he would've helped america successful that respect, seeing what different players can't. He'll request a play wherever he adapts and he understands what we inquire of him and nan trial nan Premier League will bring him, but I deliberation he will people goals and he'll hopefully beryllium a awesome summation for us."

So what tin Newcastle expect?

Well, Woltemade erstwhile said he "likes to beryllium an entertainer". How fitting, then, that nan German shares his day pinch nine fable Kevin Keegan.

He whitethorn person nan quality of a target man - opinionated astatine 6ft 6in - but Woltemade is not a specified battering ram. Quite nan opposite, successful fact.

This is simply a towering striker who is truthful technically proficient that moreover an opponent, Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, nicknamed him Woltemessi connected relationship of his dribbling ability.

Few cognize that skillset amended than Antonio di Salvo, who guided Germany to nan last of nan under-21 Euros past period pinch nan thief of Woltemade's six goals astatine nan tournament.

"Nick is technically skilled contempt his size and tin of playing some arsenic a striker and a number 10," he said. "Over nan past 2 years, he has worked difficult to summation his beingness connected nan transportation and successful nan punishment area, and astir importantly, has importantly improved his finishing.

"He's a highly versatile subordinate who tin beryllium deployed successful various positions and poses a changeless extremity threat. His productivity enables him to nutrient unexpected moments passim nan game, making him highly unpredictable for opponents."

But this has been a communicative of determination overmuch arsenic talent.

When Woltemade was near retired of Stuttgart's Champions League squad past season, for instance, connected relationship of rules surrounding club-trained players, nan striker privately vowed that his "time would come".

The imaginable of Woltemade starring nan statement erstwhile Newcastle return connected Barcelona astatine St James' Park adjacent period caps a singular emergence for a subordinate who was connected indebtedness astatine German 3rd section nine SV Elversberg 3 and a half years ago.

Yet Woltemade ne'er gave up.

Marco Grote had been "convinced for years that he tin beryllium a typical player" aft coaching Woltemade pinch Werder Bremen's under-19s.

But past play was erstwhile Woltemade genuinely became a family sanction successful his homeland.

Working intimately pinch Stuttgart head Sebastian Hoeness, connected nan training transportation and successful nan video study room, Woltemade went connected to people 17 goals successful 33 games, including nan opener successful nan German Cup final, arsenic nan centre-forward won nan first awesome trophy of his career.

Woltemade past lit up nan under-21 Euros past period and went location pinch nan Golden Boot arsenic Germany reached nan last - only to suffer 3-2 to England.

Bayern Munich felt moved capable to make respective unsuccessful bids earlier Newcastle stumped up a club-record package of £65m positive £4m successful add-ons this week.

Given nan business pinch Isak, and nan deficiency of clip near successful nan window, Newcastle had to enactment aft seeing targets Hugo Ekitike, Benjamin Sesko and Joao Pedro move elsewhere this summer.

And location are, ironically, immoderate parallels pinch Isak's presence 3 years ago.

Isak was besides Newcastle's astir costly signing of each time, arrived astatine a akin property and he did not person overmuch clip to settle, either, aft joining successful nan last days of nan window.

The Swede, though, had agelong been regarded arsenic 1 of nan continent's apical prospects and, crucially, had acquisition of playing successful respective different countries.

Woltemade, by contrast, has ne'er played extracurricular Germany and nan striker will person only had nan use of a fewer training sessions pinch his caller team-mates earlier his imaginable debut against Wolves adjacent month.

But he is simply a coachable talent who could proceed to flourish successful nan correct hands.

"He understands nan game," Grote said. "He useful pinch nan squad and nan coaches manus successful hand. He wants to learn, he wants to go a amended subordinate and is ambitious. He loves nan game. He has a talent but he worked difficult for his development.

"Give him clip - he is young, it's a caller country. It is not truthful easy for everybody. The interest is not his responsibility, but he is diligent and professional. With patience, he is simply a subordinate who tin make nan difference."

This is surely a large move for Woltemade - successful much ways than 1 - arsenic nan 23-year-old leaves his homeland for nan first time.

Those who person worked pinch Woltemade picture him arsenic a "family man" and nan caller presence was accompanied by his parents arsenic he was shown astir St James' Park connected Friday and watched his caller broadside successful action astatine Elland Road a time later. He moreover chose nan number 27 successful a motion to his mother's day of birth.

Those family values were evident successful nan checks Newcastle carried retired connected Woltemade, and nan caller signing's characteristic was arsenic important to Howe arsenic his expertise to find nan backmost of nan net.

Howe, aft all, is wary of disrupting a tight-knit dressing room, but Woltemade is personification who will slot correct in, arsenic Di Salvo explained.

"Nick was very celebrated successful our squad acknowledgment to his very good, reflected, humorous and down-to-earth character," nan Germany Under-21s head said. "I often described him arsenic a benignant of magnet - personification who could bring divers groups together.

"He was nan glue that held nan squad together and he did this pinch his earthy mode conscionable because he was who he was. As a coach, I ever weighted him arsenic an important interaction person."

Newcastle are astir to find retired for themselves.