Jamal Lewis has opened up about his ‘dark days’ at Newcastle after struggling with game time and injuries, but revealed that he is now in a ‘good place’ and ready to make a move in the summer.
The left-back was signed back in 2020 for a fee of around £15m, with Liverpool linked prior to his summer move to St James’ Park.
Three years later and the Northern Irishman has still only made 30 Premier League appearances for the club, playing just 120 minutes of football across all competitions this season.
However, after overcoming another injury, joining up with his national team in the last week and bagging an assist in their 2-0 win over San Marino, the 25-year-old is ‘optimistic’ about his future.
Lewis is ‘happy’ to remain part of our squad, enjoying this ‘amazing’ season, but will ‘asses’ his options in the summer and find the best move that suits both himself and the club.
Here’s what Lewis had to say on his situation, explaining the ‘darker side’ of football and the psychological battles he’s faced behind the scenes:
“100%, there have been dark days.
“I’ve had a tough time over the last couple of years or so just with injuries and health and finally my body’s in a good place. I’m ready to play but unfortunately I’m not getting the game time I would probably like at Newcastle.
“Coming away with my national team is always a pleasure and I’m happy that Michael O’Neill put trust in me even though I haven’t got the minutes in my legs so I’m just happy to get on the pitch.
“Obviously football is all glitz and glamour but it’s the darker side or the psychological side of football that is not talked about as much as it probably should be.
“It’s been difficult going from playing week in, week out at Norwich to not playing and then getting injured and having a tricky injury that I can’t really get on top of, which can play a very negative part in your mental being and everything.
“But to get on top of it, I’m just looking forward now and I’m really optimistic about my future and my career and hopefully everything can go into an upward trajectory.
“I will just focus game to game. Then, just moving forward, obviously Newcastle are having a great season, whether I’m involved or not, I’m happy to be part of the group.
“The gaffer (Eddie Howe) is doing amazing, the boys are doing amazing, so I’m happy to be part of it and then when the summer comes we’ll assess and see what the best move is for me and the club moving forward.”
