Bruno Guimaraes makes brilliant ‘Geordie’ admission and Newcastle United prediction

A Brazilian international joining a relegation threatened team in a World Cup year without any buy-out or release clause was some gamble from the 24-year-old. But his confidence in the project he was sold on Tyneside was ultimately well-placed.

"I never doubted the project since the beginning, I believe it,” Guimaraes admitted. “I always want to play in the Premier League.

"When I had this opportunity, I’m just enjoying playing here, I think the crowd love me and they love the crowd and I feel really at home here in the energy.

"I want to keep going and to be a legend here, could be great.”

Over nine months on, Guimaraes and Newcastle have gone from strength to strength in the Premier League. Survival was ensured rather comfortably at the end of last season and The Magpies have continued their good form into the 2022-23 campaign as they currently sit sixth in the table after nine games following Saturday’s 5-1 win over Brentford.

Guimaraes, who scored twice against The Bees, has spoken openly about wanting to help Newcastle get back playing European football as soon as possible. And a quarter of the way through the season, they occupy a position that would see them achieve just that.

But the midfielder is well aware of the challenge ahead in order to achieve his and the club’s goals.

“Yeah I think we have the team to keep going but all the games in the Premier League are so difficult and we need to enjoy the moments,” he said. “It’s still the beginning and it will be important if we’re in this position at the end of the Premier League [season], so it’s step by step, we need to think game by game but it’s nice to win.

"I think the last game against Fulham was really important for the confidence of the boys. [Against Brentford] we showed what we are doing in training every day at the training ground.

“I’m happy for the gaffer [Eddie Howe] as well. He puts the strategy and it’s very smart on his part.”

Guimaraes admitted scoring a brace in front of his family at St James’s Park on Saturday was one of the best days of his life as he awaits the birth of his first child.

Although Guimaraes’ fiance, Ana, isn’t a fan of his new ‘bleached’ hair (which he intends to keep after scoring twice), she is expecting to give birth on Tyneside any day now.

"I’m having a boy, Matteo,” Guimaraes added. “He will be [a Geordie], I never thought this in my life but he will be!”

The Brazilian’s nine months at Newcastle already have him feeling like an adopted Geordie, and that's no small part down to the support he’s received.

“We play at home with 12 players,” he continued. “It’s a pleasure for them and when we play at home we need to show how much the crowd is important for us and we’re doing things very well.

"We need to keep going, it’s just the beginning of a new project. This will be one of the best projects in the world, I believe this is just the beginning.”