On 23rd July 2019 – five years ago this week – Newcastle United handed over £40m to Hoffenheim for a little known ‘forward’ Joelinton. Little did we understand just how valuable that £40m would be.
Joelinton Cassio Apolinario do Lira, started at Brazilian side Sport Recife in 2010, working his way through their youth ranks before leaving for Hoffenheim in 2015. Soon after arriving in Germany, he spent two seasons on loan with Austrian side Rapid Wien from 2016. In that time he scored at the death at home to LASK Linz, playing all of Wien’s 2016/17 Europa League matches. He enjoyed a good season at Hoffenheim on his return, becoming a regular under Julian Nagelsmann, scoring 11 goals and featuring in their 2018/19 Champions League campaign. Up to 23rd July 2019, it was hardly a remarkable career. A player with many physical attributes but one who lacked confidence, skill and composure. But the roots were there to be seen, the player had skill and plenty of raw attributes to work with.
Newcastle shelled out £40m on that skill, he had the physical attributes to succeed under the right system. By no means, was Joelinton a striker, a forward at best. But coming to Steve Bruce’s Newcastle, a striker he would have to be. Under Bruce, it would take him 2,130 minutes to score his first goal for the Magpies. Overall, only scoring two goals in 38 appearances, one notably, against Tottenham away in his debut season in the Premier League as many labelled him a ‘£40m flop’ who couldn’t hit a barn door or trap a bag of cement.
The following season, deployed similarly as a striker or as a left forward, he doubled his tally to four goals all season. So, that’s six goals in two years for our then club-record signing, mixed in with some troubling displays and plenty of criticism both in the stands and online.
In 2021-22, there was a remarkable chance across the football club, where the takeover from PIF, Rueben brothers and Amanda Staveley marked a new…
Source link : https://www.nufcblog.co.uk/2024/07/30/joelinton-the-inspiring-story-of-newcastles-brazilian-beast/
Author : Olly Hawkins
Publish date : 2024-07-30 17:37:25
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