Allan Saint Maximin has given a great interview to Luke Edwards of The Telegraph this week, saying he’ll “kill” Premier League defenders if he can get the ball further up the pitch.
The French winger has already won a few hearts and minds on Tyneside despite his Newcastle career to date, despite a stop/start season due to injury.
On the pitch, he has already shown fleeting moments of brilliance, while also frustrating with a lack of end product.
Off the pitch he’s a very intelligent and articulate lad, who is good crack on social media and has already made appearances at the NUFC foodbanks.
Here’s a few quotes talking about his style of play and love for the game:
“I learnt to play on the street, I started there… I think a little bit of me is still playing on the street.
“When I get the ball, I want to beat my man, dribble, to play with freedom, to express myself. When I’m on the pitch, I am happiest, just like when I was small playing with my brother and his friends.
“It came naturally to me. I took a ball everywhere, at school, at home I was a like dog playing with a ball all the time. It was not coached. I play football this way because that is the way I have always played it, with pace and skill”
“I can get a lot better.
“I know my quality and I have a lot of things at Newcastle that will make me better.
“To play well, you need to enjoy your life. I have that here.
“This is just the start, we knew this season might be tough, but the club wants to grow and improve, but it has to be gradual. We need time.
“I am learning all the time.
“As a team, we are working on how to get me on the ball higher up the pitch, how to get me one on one with a defender because if that happens, I will kill them.
“They know this already.
“Watch now, there are two players against me, sometimes three, that makes me happy because I know there will be more space for my partners.“You get me one against one, I will do a lot of damage.
“Defenders should be scared of me. I am fast and technical.
“Newcastle is a big football city. I wanted to play for a club like this, I wanted pressure, I wanted to be at a club where there are expectations.
“For me, every player should want to play for a club like this where everybody in the city is a football supporter… the least I can do is try to make them smile.”
The whole interview is brilliant and is worth a read. He comes across very well and talks about his upbringing, his footballing philosophy and his relationship with Steve Bruce.
I’m personally looking forward to him slicing through the West Ham defence today and squaring for Joelinton to score the winner.
HTL!
