Joelinton admits that the misery of his first two seasons at St James’ Park made him consider his future, but a move is no longer on the agenda.
“I thought about leaving a few times. When you find yourself in a bad moment, you think about that, but I have never had anything concrete,” he says. “What I had, yes, was this idea of perhaps moving to another team, looking for success elsewhere. It’s something normal when you are not doing so well on the pitch because that obviously has an impact on you outside the club, too, you end up getting a bit sad. But I’m happy I didn’t go anywhere and now I hope to continue here for many years to come.”
It feels like Joelinton has been reborn since Eddie Howe took over as Newcastle manager in November and found the key to unlock his potential. Many credit it to his move into midfield and, while that has been integral, he doesn’t believe it’s that simple.
“The only time I recall playing as a central midfielder was in Austria and it didn’t go well at all. I was sent off that day in the Vienna derby,” he laughs. “So for it to have worked now, it’s because other things have also clicked.
“But unlike what other people may assume, I hadn’t been training in that position before I was first used during the match against Norwich [a 1-1 draw at St James’ Park]. It happened that game, then again versus Leicester and, from then on, Eddie moved me there. We didn’t have a chat to discuss it.
“It was not a big deal for me anyway. I’ve always been a team player, have always put the team first and done what’s best for it. Perhaps, some other striker with more ego wouldn’t have accepted it because he’s supposed to score goals and doesn’t like to defend, but that has never been an issue.
“Eddie has said a few times that he sees in me a player who’s able to perform other roles. He’s a great manager and, since his arrival, he’s made a lot of changes, especially in training sessions, which are more intense now. And that’s important because you play the way you train. If you train hard, you will play like that.”
