Wissa 'never Gave Up' After Acid Attack

Yoane Wissa was astir to realise a dream by moving to nan Premier League.

But successful July 2021, a period earlier he joined Brentford from Lorient, it very astir turned into a surviving nightmare.

Wissa was attacked astatine his home, pinch acerb thrown successful his face. He could person mislaid his sight. It could person ended his career.

A female was later convicted of nan attack, and of attempting to kidnap his daughter, and was sentenced to 18 years successful prison., external , external

The trauma drove Wissa on.

That was clear erstwhile nan past Lorient manager, Christophe Pelissier, visited nan guardant successful infirmary a time aft nan assault.

"Even though he was physically and mentally affected, Yoane quickly showed his determination to succeed," he said.

"What struck maine astir him was his beardown will and really he ne'er gave up."

Such determination has been a changeless passim Wissa's career.

He was playing successful beforehand of crowds of less than 3,000 supporters distant astatine Chambly successful nan French 2nd section backmost successful 2019.

Now he successful statement to characteristic against Barcelona successful nan Champions League adjacent week aft completing a prolonged £55m move from Brentford to Newcastle United.

His emergence has not needfully travel arsenic a daze to Pierre-Yves Hamel, who played alongside Wissa astatine Lorient.

"After nan attack, he ne'er complained," he said. "He instantly wanted to move guardant and to blossom coming is simply a conscionable reward for his efforts.

"Once Yoane has an thought successful mind, he will do his utmost to make it hap - nary matter really agelong it takes."

Those words now transportation added meaning.

Wissa was truthful group connected joining Newcastle that he removed each relation pinch Brentford from his Instagram relationship a fewer weeks ago.

In a connection past month, Wissa urged Brentford to "keep their word" to fto him time off and accused nan nine of "unduly opinionated successful my way".

Parallels were drawn pinch different striker looking to time off their nine - Wissa, for illustration Alexander Isak, did not characteristic successful immoderate of his team's opening 3 games of nan season.

And conscionable arsenic Newcastle fans were upset pinch nan mode successful which Isak pushed to subordinate Liverpool, pursuing his ain explosive societal media post, Brentford supporters were dismayed pinch Wissa's behaviour arsenic he looked to unit a move done to St James' Park.

Ian Westbrook, who is nan Brentford instrumentality writer pinch BBC Sport, stressed supporters are "not vindictive" towards those who "leave successful nan correct way" because they cognize that their broadside "sell players to bigger clubs astatine nan correct time".

The season-ticket holder suggested erstwhile players Bryan Mbeumo and Christian Norgaard and ex-manager Thomas Frank will each person bully receptions arsenic a consequence erstwhile they return to Gtech Community Stadium pursuing their summertime moves.

But it will beryllium different for Wissa.

"His bequest has been soured," he said. "There's not galore players who person done this to Brentford."

Wissa has since addressed nan mode of his exit.

In an question and reply pinch Newcastle's in-house media team, he insisted "it was ever respectful pinch each of them truthful that's why I kept myself fit, training, going to spot nan guys, being astir each azygous time and conscionable waiting for nan correct infinitesimal to move".

And Phil Giles, Brentford's head of football, made it clear that Wissa was an "infectious character" who he "liked a lot" while attempting to abstracted nan forward's 4 years astatine nan nine from nan circumstances of his departure.

Newcastle surely did their homework connected Wissa.

Head coach Eddie Howe targeted players who were "desperate" to subordinate nan club, peculiarly aft strikers Hugo Ekitike, Benjamin Sesko and Joao Pedro opted to move elsewhere, and nan DR Congo world fitted nan bill.

Newcastle, tellingly, returned to nan array pinch a 3rd and last bid connected deadline time alternatively than moving connected to an alternative.

It signified a uncommon displacement successful transportation policy. In fact, Newcastle had not signed an outfield subordinate complete nan property of 25 since Howe's first summertime successful complaint successful 2022.

Yet nan 29-year-old appears to beryllium a comparative precocious bloomer alternatively than personification entering nan twilight of his career.

Wissa's year-on-year improvement has been specified he went connected to people much non-penalty goals (19) than immoderate different subordinate successful nan Premier League past season.

Wissa's grounds successful beforehand of goal, his expertise to plug successful and his activity disconnected nan shot made him an charismatic proposition for Newcastle, who only had 1 subordinate deed double figures past season.

That man was Isak.

It will now autumn to Wissa, nan club's number nine, and grounds signing Nick Woltemade to thief capable nan void near by nan Swede.

And Julien Laporte suggested location is much to travel from his erstwhile Lorient team-mate.

"I'm proud to person played pinch personification for illustration Yoane because he's had a awesome career," he added. "In my opinion, it's not finished."