Having more than done his job for AFC Bournemouth over a number of years, 30 year old striker Callum Wilson got a big money move to Newcastle United when his former side suffered relegation back to the Championship.
Having paid £20 million for the strikers services back in the summer of 2020, he has hit the ground running at St James’ Park, scoring 26 times in 49 Premier League starts and his form, particularly this season, has finally seen himself rewarded with a call up back to Gareth Southgate’s England side. If Wilson does well, more Newcastle United Tickets will be sold when the Premier League returns as he will be in great form.
Wilson was last in the England set up back in 2019, but he has been totally overlooked since, however, he now has his place back at Southgate and the side head out to Qatar for the winter World Cup and for understandable reasons, Wilson could not be happier – especially as he apparently wrote in his diary to remember to ‘pack’ for the competition this weekend.
Speaking to a special edition of the Footballers’ Football podcast, the former Coventry City attacker who now has P1 Travel to Qatar explained.
“For us [Newcastle], this time last year I don’t even think we’d had a win yet so it’s crazy how far we’ve come. The hard work will continue after the focus has switched back off England. Putting the Three Lions badge on again is a proud moment for me and my family. I’ve not done it for a few years because of the setbacks on the way but I have been trying to achieve that goal again. The timing couldn’t have been any better and it’s what dreams are made of. I couldn’t have wrote it.”
Wilson went on to talk about his self belief and that diary entry a full four months ago.
“Funnily enough I was going through my diary the other day and I hadn’t used it for a few months and I had actually written on Sunday’s date ‘pack for Qatar’. This was probably four months ago I wrote this. I just believe in the power of visualisation and those positive affirmations. A few weeks ago people were asking me where I was going in the winter break and I said Qatar. That was it. I set my mind to a goal and I’m so proud of myself achieving that. This is just the start, I don’t want it to just be the World Cup squad and that be it. Now the place is mine and I don’t want to give it up again. I’ve worked hard to get my place back so I’m not giving it up easy.”
After such a long time out in the cold, for some his selection would have been a surprise – especially considering the form of others such as Brentford’s Ivan Toney, but he admitted there was a buzz in the Newcastle camp as they backed him to have worked his way back in given his recent performances.
“It was crazy. I was taken aback to be honest. You hope that you get in there, you’re wishing and praying and you feel you have done enough, but until you get that message nothing is set in stone. I came in from the training ground and the lads were like ‘Cal, have you not heard anything? It should be time!’ and I saw Tripps sat there smiling so I thought he must have had a message and I had nothing. I checked my phone but none of the notifications were from anyone from the England set-up. Then I went on to the archive because it’s a long time since I was in the squad and the archive message was there.”
As well as now backing England to go one step further than the European Championship final, Wilson also admitted it was quite fun trying to keep his own counsel and not let on that he had been selected until the official announcements were all out.
For fans, it is all eyes to the tournament now and Newcastle will be hoping their participants come back injury free.