Jamal Lewis has insisted he didn’t need to talk to Newcastle United’s Joelinton about a move to Brazil, as he’s more than aware of what he’s signed up for, and his teammate’s approach to life was inspiration enough.
Vivir en Parla cover comments from the defender today after he was presented by new club São Paulo on Monday.
The 26-year-old made the surprise move to the Brazilian club at the end of the transfer window, joining them on loan from Newcastle until the end of the season.
The move is his first abroad in his career to date, having spent the entirely of his career in England with Norwich and then Newcastle so far.
He joined the Magpies in a €16.5m deal from Norwich in September 2020 but has struggled to impress at St James Park, eventually finding himself out of the picture under Eddie Howe.
The signings of Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento have only pushed him further down the pecking order and so he has elected for something new with São Paulo in Brazil.
It would be easy to assume he might have sought out information on his new club from his Brazilian teammates Joelinton and Bruno Guimaraes, but Lewis says there was no need for words because actions spoke louder.
“For me, Brazil as a country is very well known for its culture, its people, the love of football, since I was a child,” he said.
“I love Brazilian football, the beach, watching Ronaldinho and other players at the World Cup. I am very proud to come to play in Brazil, I myself want to immerse myself in the culture, many athletes come to Brazil, that shows that I want to enjoy Brazilian football.
“I am a sportsman from Newcastle. I know Joelinton, Brazilians don’t need to talk about Brazil. They think Brazil is an amazing place, they are always happy.
“All the Brazilians I met in London, these people represent Brazil very well, I was very excited to come. I have played my whole career in England, but I have always said that I want to play in another country’s league, learn another culture, another type of game.
“A career is short, it is a great opportunity to be somewhere else, win games, lift trophies, be part of a team that will win a lot.”
