Anthony Gordon makes stunning Nick Woltemade and Harry Kane claim as Newcastle United unlock secret weapon
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Newcastle United news: Anthony Gordon has spoken about comparisons between his England teammate Harry Kane and club teammate Nick Woltemade.
Nick Woltemade has scored four goals in six matches as a Newcastle United player, including three in the space of seven days against Arsenal, Union Saint-Gilloise and Nottingham Forest before the international break. As Newcastle United’s club-record signing, there was pressure on Woltemade to hit the ground running on Tyneside, particularly after Yoane Wissa was injured whilst on international duty with DR Congo last month.
However, the German international has managed to live up to those expectations and has slotted seamlessly into Eddie Howe’s front three. That front three particularly shone in the game against Union SG last week with Anthony Gordon and Anthony Elanga on either side acting as the perfect foil for Woltemade’s attacking instincts.
Far from your traditional number nine, Woltemade is very much out of the modern striker mould and someone who likes to be involved with all aspects of the play. This type of striker can be very difficult to defend against and despite his size, Woltemade has all the technical ability needed to be a success in this role.
He may just be a few games into his time on Tyneside, but hopes are very high for what the 23-year-old can achieve at Newcastle United. His club teammates certainly have high hopes for the German and Gordon has recently compared his style of football to one of the best strikers the Premier League has ever seen… Harry Kane.
Anthony Gordon’s Nick Woltemade and Harry Kane comparisons
Gordon has joined up with Thomas Tuchel’s England squad ahead of their matches against Wales and Latvia and will be desperate to impress and stake his claim for a place in Tuchel’s World Cup squad next summer. Gordon will hope to play on the left of Tuchel’s front three with Kane spearheading their attack.
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Whilst Woltemade still has some way to go to replicate Kane’s goalscoring antics, Gordon recognises similarities between the pair and believes their styles of play can help take his game to a new level: “I think they do play a very similar style of football,” Gordon said during a press conference at St George's Park.
“In terms of they want to almost be like the quarterback, they want to come in and create, they don't just want to finish the chances like a typical striker would do.
“The amount of assists Harry has got over the past couple of years and over his career is outstanding and, for me personally, I think it helps me because my style suits playing with that style of striker because I can run off them. If defenders want to go and engage with them, I can run off the back, so I think it is really positive for me and I really enjoy it.”
England are on the brink of qualifying for next summer’s World Cup. Germany, however, have some ground to make up to avoid slipping into the play-offs and know they cannot afford to slip-up against either Luxembourg or Northern Ireland during this break if they want to keep their destiny in their own hands.
Woltemade, meanwhile, did not join up with his international teammates on Monday after suffering a ‘flu-like virus’. A further update on his condition and whether he can join Julian Nagelsmann’s squad in the coming days is awaited.