Newcastle United striker Joselu has got fond of the club’s supporters following his £5m move from Stoke City earlier last month.
The former Real Madrid graduate made an instant impact on his home debut last month after he found the scoresheet in the 3-0 win over West Ham United. As a result, the Magpies registered their first points on their top-flight return, and this has eased the pressure on Rafael Benitez, who endured a tough summer transfer window.
Joselu received a standing ovation after being substituted in the Hammers’ triumph last month, and speaking to The Chronicle, he compared the fans to those who supported him at the Bernabeu, he said: “Yes it reminds me of Madrid. All the people in the street in Newcastle love their team too. They love it that we are in the Premier League. It’s a big club, big city, and a big stadium. We have the big players as well so we must do well.”
Following the international break, the Magpies take on Swansea City in the Premier League, and Joselu is likely to find himself leading the line once again due to a suspension for Aleksandar Mitrovic. Newcastle could not get all the transfer targets over the line during the transfer window, but Joselu has urged his teammate to push on after a convincing victory over the Hammers.
He added: “We know we need to work harder than teams like West Ham. It’s good to win 3-0 before the international break means you can rest for a couple of days and enjoy. We need to come back and work hard for the next game at Swansea.”
Benitez had hoped to bring in another top-class striker before the close of the transfer window, but he will now have to adjust with the options in hand with Dwight Gayle likely to play a significant role in the coming months.