Joe Willock offered fascinating insights both on and off the pitch in an interview answering questions from Newcastle United fans. The summer signing took time out to appear on BBC Newcastle’s ‘Total Sport’ show on Wednesday night and reply to fans jubilant at his arrival from Arsenal. From his one-hour slot on the radio and his previous interviews, one thing truly stood out. Simply put, he gets Newcastle United. There was talk of trophies and one day pushing for European football. Willock’s gratitude and constant admiration for the fanbase shone throughout, as he admitted the 10,000 crowd against Sheffield United helped convince him to sign. There was even time for a cheeky jibe against rivals Sunderland, with the 21-year-old admitting he’s not keen to see the Black Cats back in the Premier League anytime soon. It was obviously a difficult decision to leave Arsenal. For a fanbase regularly belittled for daring to dream of something more than just existing in the top-flight, it was refreshing to hear Willock demanding progress and stressing his belief in the club being able to achieve ‘wonderful things’.
Joe Willock said: “When I left here, there was that thing in the back of my head saying Newcastle shouldn’t be fighting a relegation battle. We should be looking up the table and progressing, and that’s something I want to help to do.”
Of course, there were a number of light-hearted topics such as his friendship with Saint-Maximin and the inevitable Love Island question. But the interview did take a serious turn when Willock was invited to discuss his own experience and views on racism and the need for inclusion within the sport. For Newcastle fans, Willock is the man who could not stop scoring and helped revitalise a team seemingly destined for relegation. Supporters were delighted to see him sign, and Arsenal fans were sad to see him go. You would think no-one from either perspective would have a bad word to say about a young player simply chasing his dream. Yet in something of a heartbreaking admission, Willock spoke of the racist abuse he receives on a daily basis and the toll it can take.
Joe Willock said: “You have to try and put it at the back of your mind, but it comes up on your phone. They have a way of direct messaging on these digusting things. It hurts a lot, even speaking about it hurts. To be honest with you, there’s not much you can do. You have to try and ignore it.”
Willock was also asked about his own targets for the season, and concluded the interview with a question about his long-term ambitions. Rather than give a stock answer about trophies and achievements within the game, the midfielder who will celebrate his 22nd birthday on Friday gave a remarkably mature response. Having previously spoken of his own background and his desire to be a role model,
Joe Willock said: “I want to continue to help people, whether I can in a few years help young kids with a charity or help kids that come from unfortunate backgrounds to be inspired to live out their dreams in football. That’s a main goal of mine. What Marcus Rashford has done is amazing, and something that can only inspire other players like me to do.”
Expectations will likely be sky high following Willock’s remarkable run of form in black-and-white last season, and the summer signing will do well to even come close to matching those levels this time around. Regardless of whether he matches his goalscoring exploits or not, it is clear Willock already feels settled in his new home.
