Yoane Wissa has spoken about his changing perceptions of one Newcastle United teammate.

Yoane Wissa has named Joe Willock as the player who has surprised him most with his training levels since joining Newcastle United.

Wissa arrived at St. James’ Park from Brentford last summer following Alexander Isak’s departure to Liverpool. However, he’s endured a tough first campaign on Tyneside, registering just three goals across all competitions and scoring just once in the Premier League as Eddie Howe’s side have struggled for consistency.

Yoane Wissa makes huge Newcastle United teammate admission

Alongside arriving injured, Wissa has had to adjust to a totally new team and tactical set-up this season, which also involves getting to know an entirely different group of players, having spent four years at Brentford.

So, which player has surprised him most in training during his time with the Magpies so far?

“The one who was training a lot, who surprised me the most, was Joe Willock,” Wissa said in an interview with Joel Beya. “Even when he wasn’t playing a lot, in training, he was always the best.”

Willock has struggled with injuries since joining Newcastle from in 2021, missing a total of 49 games during that time due to various fitness concerns, according to Transfermarkt.

Wissa has admitted that from the outside, there is a perception that Willock is ‘arrogant’ and ‘lazy’. However, the midfielder has very swiftly changed that opinion.

“Don't get me wrong, I spoke with him, he knows what I think about him. But from the outside, as I said to him, he looks so arrogant, and he looks so lazy. He knows why I'm saying this, and I told him, but to see him working that hard and being so good in training, I said sorry to him,” Wissa added.

“That's why you can't have an image of someone if you don't know him. Since I joined, I've been training with him, and I said to him, ‘I've got an image about you, but it’s wrong, it's really wrong’. I'm saying sorry to him.”

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