MX23RW : Saturday, November 23 19:11:18| >> :120:26150:26150:

Joelinton "aware" of unrest among Newcastle fans

Joelinton
© Reuters
The 22-year-old Brazilian will wear the Magpies' famous number nine shirt.

Newcastle's record signing Joelinton is confident he can help lift the gloom at St James' Park.

The 22-year-old Brazilian became Newcastle's most expensive player this week when he completed a reported £40million move from Hoffenheim by signing a six-year deal.

His arrival may go some way to appeasing a large section of fans, who remain vehemently opposed to owner Mike Ashley's regime and the recent appointment of Steve Bruce as Rafael Benitez's replacement.

Joelinton, speaking via a translator, told the media when unveiled at the club's training centre that he knew of the unrest among the Toon Army.

"Yes I'm aware of it, I've seen some comments, but I think it's normal," he said.

"Fans are very demanding, they want their teams to have a good season, they want their teams to win a trophy.

"I think it's normal for fans, but I believe they are behind us and I hope I can make them happy this season.

"I'm also very happy that my transfer has brought some joy to them and hopefully I'll increase that happiness with every game."

Joelinton is relishing the challenge of following in the footsteps of some legendary number nines at the club.

The likes of Jackie Milburn, Malcolm Macdonald, Les Ferdinand and Alan Shearer were hero-worshipped at St James' Park, but Joelinton is undaunted.

"I appreciate the responsibility of the number nine shirt here at Newcastle. I appreciate its legendary status and I'm really happy," he said.

"I hope to score lots of goals. I've always played centre-forward, but I'm also willing to play in other positions."

Joelinton, Newcastle's first signing since Bruce's arrival, scored 11 goals in 35 appearances for Hoffenheim last season and believes his move can help him earn a place in Brazil's senior national team.

"I have many objectives, some of them I have already achieved. One of them is to get into the Brazilian national team," he said.

"I'm joining a great club in the best league in the world, one of the most difficult leagues in the world.

"I know about the club's history. This is the best league in the world. I hope to have a great season and get called up into Brazil's national team."

Joelinton said Newcastle had tried to sign him in January and that it made no difference Benitez had since been replaced by Bruce, who has already made a big impression on the striker.

"He's a great guy and that father-style is not just with me, it's with the entire squad," Joelinton added.

"But he's also very demanding on the pitch. I saw that in the first training session. Training is very intense and I like that, that's important.

"Off the pitch as well, he talks to all the players and I think that relationship is really important."

ID:365950: cacheID:365950:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:7400:
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Hoffenheim forward Joelinton pictured in December 2018
Read Next:
Bruce: Joelinton fit to wear Newcastle's number nine shirt
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool119112161528
2Manchester CityMan City117222213923
3Chelsea126422314922
4Arsenal126422112922
5Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton126422116522
6Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest125431513219
7Aston Villa125431919019
8Newcastle UnitedNewcastle115331311218
9Fulham125341717018
10Brentford125252222017
11Tottenham HotspurSpurs1151523131016
12Manchester UnitedMan Utd114341212015
13Bournemouth124351617-115
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham113351319-612
15Everton122551017-711
16Leicester CityLeicester122461523-810
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves122372028-89
18Crystal Palace121561017-78
19Ipswich TownIpswich111551222-108
20Southampton11119721-144


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!