Nick Woltemade issues classy farewell message after Newcastle United transfer - Alexander Isak take note
Newcastle United new signing Nick Woltemade has issued a heartfelt farewell message to his former club.
Last week Woltemade completed a £65million club-record transfer to Newcastle from VfB Stuttgart.
It came one year after the 23-year-old joined the Bundesliga side on a free transfer. But after scoring 17 goals in all competitions for Stuttgart, winning the DFB-Pokal and the golden boot in the Under-21s European Championships, Woltemade saw his value sky-rocket as he was targeted by some of Europe’s top clubs.
Real Madrid and Bayern Munich were both credited with an interest in the forward before Newcastle swooped in to agree a deal.
Unlike many transfers this summer, Newcastle had already struck a deal with Stuttgart by the time news of the move reached the media. As such, it appeared to happen very quickly with Woltemade already heading to Tyneside by the time the news of his move broke.
After a whirlwind few days, Woltemade is now back in Germany for international duty.
The Gazette has launched a new WhatsApp NUFC channel to bring the latest news, analysis and team & injury updates directly to your phone. Simply click this link to join our NUFC WhatsApp channel.
Football is BACK - subscribe to our Newcastle United newsletter for all the news straight to your inbox
Nick Woltemade issues heartfelt farewell message after NUFC move
On deadline day, Woltemade took to Instagram to issue a video message to the Stuttgart supporters.
Translated from German, he said: “Hello dear VfB fans, it was important for me to say goodbye again.
“I think there was a lot going on in the last few days, that's why I took a few more days to find the right words. I can only thank you. Thank you for the last year, thank you for the moments we created together, for the moments we experienced together.
“I don't demand that you follow my steps. I think for me as a footballer, I want to achieve the highest possible. I play in the Champions League, I play in the best league in the world [at Newcastle] and I'm looking forward to this step.
“I can understand every VfB fan who says, you always said you were a Stuttgart fan. I'm still a Stuttgart fan, and I will still watch every Stuttgart game if I can.
“But I'm also a sportsman, and that's my job. I decided for the next step, which I wanted to take, which I consciously decided and I'm really looking forward to the task.
“Nevertheless, I just wanted to thank you and remember what a great year we had together. It was a great year for me, and I'm also very grateful to Stuttgart that I continued my career as a sportsman.
“I won my first big title with you, after a long time again for Stuttgart, also a title. And I think that's something that will always remain in my memory, in addition to all the other beautiful moments.
“But I also think that the VfB fans, will always remain in my memory and I'm grateful for that, and I'm proud that I was there, that I was able to be a part of it.
“It was important to me to say goodbye, and I'll do that here. So thank you to VfB, thank you to all the employees, all the coaches, to the whole team above all. Thank you for the great time.”
Alexander Isak take note
Will Alexander Isak leave a similar message after securing a summer move to Liverpool? It’s hard to envisage given the unsavoury nature of his exit from Newcastle.
The 25-year-old, like Woltemade, has made a club-record transfer after helping a club end a long trophy drought.