Newcastle United midfielder Joe Willock has recalled the moment Borussia Dortmund's Felix Nmecha came to console him after a Champions League defeat. Nmecha, a player who has been on Newcastle's transfer radar in recent windows, scored the winning goal in Dortmund's 1-0 victory at St James' Park in 2023, a result that followed Newcastle's famous 4-1 win over Paris Saint-Germain.
Willock's Reduced Role
Willock had replaced Jacob Murphy on 69 minutes during the match. The United midfielder admitted he felt down because of his reduced role in the game. He recounted the incident on Four8TV, explaining how Nmecha came straight over to him in the tunnel after the final whistle instead of celebrating with his team-mates.
"One thing that always stays with me, we played Dortmund in the Champions League at home. I think I came on in the last 20 minutes or something," Willock said.
The Tunnel Encounter
"Felix Nmecha had scored the winning goal, but straight after the game he came up to me in the tunnel and just started praying with me," Willock added. "I was like bit taken aback because I thought he would be with his team as they won, and I think they went through, and he scored the winner, so like I thought he would be over the moon."
"But he came up to me and he started praying straight away. He saw I was upset because I didn't play that long, and he said, 'Don't get fixated and put your your trust in football. Put your trust in God, and that should be where you stand, like whether it's high or low'. That always stick with me."
