‘I was angry’ - Yoane Wissa doubles down on Matthias Jaissle claim after Newcastle United struggle
Yoane Wissa looks like a man reborn after suffering an injury-ravaged debut campaign at Newcastle United.
Yoane Wissa believes Matthias Jaissle has given him the confidence to reignite his Newcastle United career.
An unfortunate debut campaign at St James’ Park was well-documented. Signed to help fill the void left by Alexander Isak, Wissa suffered a knee injury on international duty.
At that point, the 30-year-old had not yet trained with his new teammates. This left Wissa chasing his tail for fitness last season - scoring just one Premier League goal.
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Yoane Wissa on Matthias Jaissle
Wissa hailed the manager as Newcastle’s best summer signing after the 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur 10 days ago. Doubling down while opening up about their relationship, the striker revealed Jaissle compared him to Ivan Toney, who he managed at Al-Ahli.
“It's really strange because the first time I met him, I was really confident with him,” Wissa told Sky Sports. “He didn't even say hello to me! He said, ‘Have we got Ivan?’ So that's how it starts.
“Of course, when you start talking with him, he gives me a lot of confidence about what has been in the past, what he's looking forward (to) and what he wants me to do, especially my role. That's the confidence he gave to me because he wants me to be a leader of the team and he wants me to run hard for him. So that's what I'm trying to do.”
Yoane Wissa and Matthias Jaissle bet
While staying coy on his target, Wissa confirmed that he has a light-hearted bet with Jaissle for the season ahead. He added: “Of course, I've always got a target. I even have a bet with the manager. It will stay private.
“But of course, I will set myself (a target) because it will keep me running. Even if I pass the target, I keep going. That's why I will always set a target for myself. I want to just do work for my family because last season was tough for them also in the background. So that's why I'm pretty privileged now to be able to do that.”
‘I was angry’ - Yoane Wissa
Wissa is keen to repay the Toon fans for their support after his injury struggles left him feeling “angry” last season. He said: “I always knew before I joined Newcastle the way they love their club and the way they want the players to run for them.
“That's the most important thing. That's why last year I was a bit angry. Sad, I would say. I didn't hit the ground (running) because of my injury.
“This season, I prepared myself to just run on the pitch to show them how much I'm so happy to be here. I'm so excited to play at St James’ Park because that's one of the best stadiums in the country.”
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