Newcastle United's late summer signing Nick Woltemade has opted for the No.27 shirt at St James' Park, honouring his mother whose birthday falls on that date, rather than taking the iconic No.9 jersey. The 23-year-old German striker made an immediate impact on his debut, scoring the winning goal in a 1-0 victory over Wolves.
Woltemade, who wore No.11 at Stuttgart last season, was signed as a replacement for Alexander Isak, now at Liverpool. The No.27 shirt has been unoccupied since 2022 and carries no significant history at Newcastle. His decision allowed deadline day signing Yoane Wissa from Brentford to take the No.9 shirt.
Manager Eddie Howe praised Woltemade's debut, saying: 'It was a great moment for Nick. I was very pleased with how he played. You saw his technical qualities and his intelligence. But most importantly for a striker, when the ball comes into the box, you need to be there - and he was.'
Newcastle's pursuit of Woltemade came after being rebuffed by primary targets Joao Pedro and Bryan Mbeumo, who joined Chelsea and Manchester United respectively. The club also failed to sign Benjamin Sesko, who chose Manchester United. Woltemade was not initially a preferred target, as Newcastle believed Stuttgart would not sell after rejecting approaches from Bayern Munich.
Club legend Alan Shearer endorsed Woltemade on social media, posting: 'What a cross and an even better header.'
