Why there's no-one quite like Newcastle United striker Nick Woltemade, who starred in the UEFA Champions League win over Benfica

Watching Nick Woltemade play football is an experience like no other. The Newcastle United forward is a truly special player who operates in a way that belies his frame. Eddie Howe's side have been inconsistent so far this season but Tuesday's win over Benfica showcased exactly why Newcastle can be so difficult for opponents when they get it right.

The last time that Newcastle United won back-to-back Champions League games was in February 2003.

Across two matches of Group A in the Champions League that season, Newcastle beat Bayer Leverkusen 3-1 in Germany, and then 3-1 again on Tyneside.

Shola Ameobi scored a brace and Lomana LuaLua also hit the net at Leverkusen, whilst Alan Shearer thrilled the Toon faithful with a hat-trick in the game at St James’ Park. How time flies.

Champions League

'He's a special one' - Estevao praised after eye-catching display

8 hours ago

More than two decades later, on Tuesday night, Newcastle recorded back-to-back Champions League wins once again. After thrashing Union Saint-Gilloise 4-0 a few weeks ago, the Geordies followed it up with a 3-0 victory over Benfica.

He wasn’t on the scoresheet against Jose Mourinho’s side, but watching the game it was impossible not to feel the presence of Nick Woltemade.

The lanky striker, affectionately nicknamed "Woltemessi", was a thorn in the side of the Benfica defenders, both when he played right up against them and went into a physical war and also when he dropped deeper causing positional problems.

A weight on the shoulders

Obviously, the elephant in the room here is Alexander Isak. When the Swede was sold to Liverpool in the summer the question of who might replace Isak was a hot topic among Newcastle fans, but it was always going to be an unfair one.

Isak scored over 20 Premier League goals in back-to-back seasons. Over a few years he evolved from an inconsistent, scrawny kid, into one of the best strikers in the world.

Any new players coming in should not have been dragged down by that expectation and, to be fair to them, Newcastle did well adding players like Yoane Wissa and Anthony Elanga to shoulder the load.

But ultimately, someone needs to lead the line, and that player is Woltemade. A scrawny, gangly kid who only had one season of top-level football in him.

Woltemade grabs scrappy opener as Newcastle lead in Belgium

Video credit: TNT Sports

A truly unique approach

If the initial hypothesis for not comparing Woltemade to Isak was because of the history Isak had as a Newcastle striker, then what has proven to be the case is that we cannot compare Woltemade to Isak because it doesn’t feel as if you can actually really compare him to anyone.

The phrase "great feet for a big man" has been a cliché for many years, and often it is used to describe players who are maybe a little more technical than you’d expect, but nothing special.

Woltemade is nothing like that. He plays like he is a 5"8 creative playmaker who just happened to one day wake up in the body of a giraffe from northern Germany.

Obviously nothing shows this better than his cute little backheel to Anthony Gordon in the build-up for the final Newcastle goal against Benfica - you can see it in the highlights package below.

Highlights: Gordon and Barnes condemn Mourinho's Benfica to defeat

Video credit: TNT Sports

If Andres Iniesta or, dare we say, Lionel Messi, did that people get excited and move on. Watching someone with the frame of Woltemade do it is like a religious experience.

You can see from his pass map how he moves around the pitch, be it going wider or going deeper. The idea that, because he is big, he needs to bully the centre-backs and be a target in the box and nothing else almost seems comical when you watch what he’s capable of.

Nick Woltemade pass map

Image credit: Opta

"We keep saying the same thing about Nick, he’s a unique player," manager Eddie Howe said after the game.

"Those types of flicks and touches, that’s not coached. That’s instinctive.

"We saw that before we signed him, we knew that he was very good around the box.  

"He was very creative for other players and it was great to see us score off the back of one of them."

As Eurosport Germany’s Florian Bogner, who watched Woltemade’s rise in the Bundesliga says: "It was impressive from his first matches in Bundesliga on that he always wanted the ball, kept falling deep behind the first line to get touches and later outclassing his opponents with quick dribbling in the box. He's unique. Live with it."

A Tyneside gamechanger  

Former Chelsea and England forward Joe Cole was watching Tuesday's game and he pointed out how much of a threat Newcastle could be later in the competition.

"I think Newcastle's results haven't matched their performances this year," Cole said.

"Listen, I don't think Newcastle will win the Champions League, but I tell you what, if they get through this stage, nobody will want them in a knockout game, because they've got such weapons all over the pitch."

Woltemade and Wissa put Newcastle in a 'better position' than with Isak - Cole

Video credit: TNT Sports

And this is where Newcastle can be at their best. Remember, this is not a club that always wins stuff. Before their League Cup triumph last season they hadn’t won a domestic cup or title since the FA Cup in 1955.

When Newcastle are at their best they are the kind of team that have no fear playing a 'big' team because they genuinely believe there is no reason they can’t beat them.

It is what makes St James’ Park one of the great institutions of English football. It’s almost like Scrappy-Doo, but if he was actually effective.

Certain players thrive in this environment and can become icons and build a relationship with the club, fans and city, in a way that is truly special.

In Woltemade, Newcastle fans may have found one of their next great folk heroes.

Stream the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, Serie A and Men's and Women's FA Cup and more on TNT Sports and discovery+. 

Champions League

Nine Champions League oddities you missed this week

10 hours ago

Champions League

Why Kompany may struggle to control 'hype' for record-breaking teenage sensation Karl

11 hours ago