Nick Woltemade wasted no time making his mark for Newcastle, ensuring anonymity would never be an option for the £70m summer signing from Stuttgart. By the 29th minute, the 6ft 6in Germany striker met Jacob Murphy’s cross, evaded Emmanuel Agbadou, and powered a header past Sam Johnstone to secure Newcastle’s first win of the season.
“It felt amazing,” said Woltemade afterwards. “Everybody was happy, I was happy. The Premier League is hard but I want to adapt and the coach gave me such a good feeling, I knew what to do.”
Before the goal, Woltemade had already shown deft footwork and promising touches, though he looked understandably nervous. With his socks halfway down and an ungainly gait, he proved to be an unconventional striker—but one who is far from ineffective. The powerful header that opened the scoring drew widespread cheers and a sense of excitement for Newcastle fans anticipating the impact of their new “two metre Messi.”
Operating more as a nine-and-a-half than a traditional No 9, Woltemade frequently dropped deep to link play effectively. His debut came after Yoane Wissa, Newcastle’s £55m signing from Brentford, required specialist attention for a knee injury, giving Woltemade the opportunity to start.
Manager Eddie Howe praised his performance: “Nick’s very intelligent, very, very humble and a very good communicator. He understood everything we wanted him to do tactically. It was great to see him scoring; he took his goal brilliantly; it was a very strong debut.”
Newcastle fans were relieved as the German’s play helped calm early pressure from Wolves, particularly from right wing-back Hugo Bueno, who had initially caused problems for Newcastle’s defense. Woltemade’s contribution, including a close-range setup for Jacob Murphy, ensured the Gallowgate gloom began to lift, signaling a bright start to his Newcastle career.
