Newcastle United forward Nick Woltemade has insisted he can handle any criticism coming his way, despite a disappointing second half of the season at St James Park.
The striker, currently at the World Cup with Germany, has been speaking to Sachsische Zeitung about a year which he admits has been a bit mad.
Newcastle United criticism
He moved to Newcastle in a huge move last summer as a last-minute replacement for Alexander Isak following his move to Liverpool. Initially, all was well. The striker hit the ground running, scoring goals for fun and looking like a smart investment.
He then went 17 league games without another goal, though, breaking that duck late in the season. Criticism has been fierce, to say the least, with the striker admitting recently that he was obviously not happy.
Now he insists that he can handle any issues coming his way. He’s instead focused on the year as a whole.
“The goals have given me a lot of confidence. I know the part I played in our (Germany’s) successful qualification, and I’ve shown what I’m capable of at this level,” he said.
“But I was always aware that there might be other phases as well. That’s exactly what happened when I joined Newcastle and scored a lot of goals at first. Then there are times when things don’t quite click. That doesn’t rattle me; I can handle it.
“All in all, the last year has been a mad one for me. It’s changed my life. When I was standing on the pitch with the whole team before the match against Curaçao and we were singing the national anthem, I was grinning from ear to ear. It’s such a huge and wonderful thing to be part of the biggest stage in football.”
Newcastle position change
Part of the issue for Nick Woltemade has been a change of position at Newcastle under Eddie Howe.
He initially started the campaign playing in a central striker role but was slowly transitioned into a midfield role across the campaign. He ended the season with 11 appearances playing as an attacking midfielder for the Magpies.
Now he’s at the World Cup as one of Germany’s three striker options but insists he’s happy in whatever role he’s required in, so long as he’s playing centrally.
“I feel comfortable playing in a central role, whether on my own up front, as part of a strike partnership or a line behind the strikers,” he added.
“It doesn’t really matter whether that’s a centre-forward or whatever you call it. I think football has changed. It’s become more versatile. Even Harry Kane isn’t a classic centre-forward.
“I watched England’s 4–2 win against Croatia in their first World Cup match. Kane’s a goalscorer, of course, but he’s not a classic centre-forward either. I can’t think of anyone at the top level who fits that profile quite so well. To be honest, that type of player doesn’t really exist anymore.”
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— Sport Witness (@Sport_Witness) June 17, 2026
