FROM LONDON STADIUM—Everything has gone right for Nick Woltemade at Newcastle United. Until today here away at struggling West Ham. The tall German has been one of the most successful signings of the season, playing as a No.10 and creating chances for his team-mates, and scoring goals with the clinical touch of a No. 9. So it was surprising and controversial to see Newcastle’s leading scorer withdrawn at half-time by his head coach, Eddie Howe, with his team trailing. Howe and why?
Woltemade enjoyed no service, and was left so isolated by his midfield and wingers that he managed only one touch in the area, reflective of the visitors’ overall passivity. “I almost could have taken anyone off,” Howe said by way of explanation. “The team needed some shaking up at half-time. The physicality and dynamism wasn’t there for us.”
Howe also hooked Anthony Gordon and Emil Krafth at the break, which was understandable as neither had impressed. But it felt harsh on Woltemade. He sat on the bench, wrapped up warmly, hoodie pulled down almost over his eyes as if masking the sight of a game without him.
His removal was lamented not only by Newcastle fans, and here is a sign of Woltemade’s phenomenal global impact. More than 600,000 of the 10m managers around the world who play Fantasy Premier League transferred Woltemade into their online teams for this round of games, believing he would win them points. So the sight of Woltemade on the bench was almost as galling for fantasy fans as it was for his real army of Newcastle fans.
Woltemade Already Loved by Newcastle Supporters
They adore him, and there are few passions in English football as loud and loyal as Geordie fans’ love for a centre forward. He’s had such an effect on Newcastle since arriving from Stuttgart for an initial £65 million ($87.7 million) in August. He helped heal the gaping wound left by the messy departure of Alexander Isak, who downed tools and disappeared to Liverpool.
Creative Newcastle fans even produced a “Ghostbusters” video tribute to the striker who made them forget about Isak. The video’s a montage of Woltemade’s six goals in his previous 11 games, the powerful headers and delicate, flicked headers, the back-heels and whipped penalties. It ends with the brutal pay-off of “I ain’t afraid of no goals” with an image of Isak, who has yet to reveal his prolific qualities at Liverpool. Such content celebrates the finisher with Rudi Voller’s hair and flair for goals.
Woltemade’s numbers tell a story, his goals such an influence on Newcastle. His shirt number tells a story too. He wears the number 11 with the German national team as he had last season at Stuttgart. Harvey Barnes is in possession of 11 at Newcastle. So Woltemade took 27, not because the numbers add up to 9, the traditional centre forward’s number, but because it matches the date of his mother’s birthday. Homely touches like that endear Woltemade even further to Newcastle fans.
He could have taken the 9 vacated by Callum Wilson, now West Ham’s striker. The shirt is iconic on Tyneside, dating back to Hughie Gallacher in the 1920s, “Wor Jackie” Milburn in the 50s, Malcolm “Supermac” Macdonald in the 70s, Andy Cole in the mid-90s and Les Ferdinand briefly before Alan Shearer graced it for almost a decade. Maybe Woltemade didn’t want to be pigeonholed as a No 9 and has left it for Yoane Wissa. When Wissa is finally fit after his cruciate ligament injury, the pair should make a threatening blend.
Howe Must Find Ways to Utliise Woltemade Better
That’s also what was so perplexing about him being withdrawn at half-time. Will Osula, the young Dane, came on at centre forward as Howe looked for pace in behind West Ham’s back-four. That is never Woltemade’s game. He links or ghosts into intelligent attacking positions. He works best with a No 9 ahead of him. A Woltemade-Osula axis might have been worth assessing. Both players starred at the European Under-21s Championship in the summer, scoring freely.
Howe is such a highly respected manager, who will be in the frame to succeed Thomas Tuchel with England after the World Cup, that he could have juggled his resources to create a better platform for Woltemade, told him to play higher up, spending more time in the area, or partnered him with Osula.
Newcastle were even poorer in the second half. West Ham must have been delighted. They played with all the physicality and intensity that Newcastle lacked, and totally deserved their first win under Nuno Espírito Santo with Lucas Paquetá and Freddie Potts particularly impressive. They will have been relieved to see the back of Woltemade, especially the centre backs, Jean-Clair Todibo and Max Kilman, who have struggled of late.
Nick Woltemade’s 2025–26 Statistics
Howe’s decision to sub Woltemade was not related to fitness, even though the forward was one of five who started here who also began the midweek Carabao Cup win over Tottenham Hotspur when the German scored. Newcastle have a gruelling run of Premier League and Champions League games this month, including Athletic Club and Manchester City at St James’ Park with away trips to Brentford, Marseille and Everton.
Yet Woltemade’s only 23, exceptionally fit, and expends his energy cleverly. One of the reasons why Woltemade is so popular with the Newcastle fans is that he works hard, presses hard, closing down opponents. He always makes himself available for a pass to feet or in the air, even when tightly and robustly marked. He still paces himself well, ensuring he has the surge of power to unleash when the right opportunity arises. At one point before the break, Gordon smashed the ball in towards Woltemade, who controlled it easily, and laid it off.
Such has been the effortless way he’s settled at Newcastle that some German fans journeyed over recently, wearing blond wigs, holding cards beseeching their compatriot for his autograph. Complete confirmation that Newcastle had signed well also came from Germany in the shape of some disgruntled comments from Bayern Munich powerbrokers, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Uli Hoeneß. They had clearly expected him to sign for Bayern, as many young German players want to do. Maybe Rummenigge and Hoeneß will smile inwardly at events here yesterday but such is his quality and work ethic that Woltemade will soon be starting and finishing again.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Forget Alexander Isak, Classy Nick Woltemade Is Rightly the Talk of Newcastle.