A message for Allan Saint-Maximin

After four years on Tyneside, Allan Saint-Maximin has left Newcastle United. His emotional goodbye statement was hard to swallow and left many Mags with an overwhelming feeling of sadness as he departs for Saudi Arabia.

He was a joy to watch on and off the pitch and a much-needed source of entertainment and light during some otherwise dull and dark days at St James’ Park. Allan may never read this, but we want to say thank you…

Thank you for picking Newcastle four years ago.

Thank you for your skill, pace, mazy runs and ability to make something out of nothing.

Thank you for your honesty, love and passion for the club, this city and the fans.

Thank you for your engagement on social media, brilliant tweets and silencing of Sunderland fans!

Thank you for exciting fans the second you stepped out at SJP in that Saint-Etienne friendly.

Thank you for staying during the tough times and rejecting offers from elsewhere.

Thank you for proving the doubters wrong who questioned your commitment or attitude.

Thank you for supporting the NUFC Foodbank, giving up your time to those in need and making donations.

Thank you for tweeting the foodbank today that your support won’t stop now you’ve left for Saudi.

Thank you for bringing surprise gifts to games, awarding fans with watches as they waited for your signature by the players entrance.

Thank you for giving away toys at the Metro Centre, a kind and selfless gesture that meant the world to so many young fans.

Thank you for working hard in the gym to recover from injuries that must have left you frustrated, often wearing your Newcastle kit to train when at home or abroad!

Thank you for your words of wisdom and support to a young Elliot Anderson two years ago. You saw his potential when others were yet to realise it.

Thank you for staying behind after training in 2020 to watch our U23s take on Hartlepool in a pre-season friendly. Your support that day will have meant a lot.

Thank you for that first ever goal at Sheffield United; a header that flew in off that Gucci headband!

Thank you for that exciting link-up down the left between you and Jetro Willems.

Thank you for that late winner at Southampton; the last goal fans watched before the COVID lockdown.

Thank you for those that hat-trick of assists in that emphatic 4-1 at Bournemouth.

Thank you for that extra-time screamer at Oxford to send us into the 5th round of the FA Cup.

Thank you for that goal and assist at Burnley; a huge game in our fight for survival in 2021.

Thank you for giving Zabaleta nightmares at West Ham and running rings around so many right-backs.

Thank you for that stunning second half display at home to Everton last year and those vital St James’ Park strikes against Leeds, Man Utd, Brentford, Watford and Burnley.

Thank you for that opening day assist at home to West Ham, where you beat Declan Rice two or three times before delivering a perfect cross for Callum Wilson.

Thank you for THAT performance against Man City, where you left Kyle Walker in the dust, set up two goals and had Pep Guardiola on his knees in that 3-3 draw at SJP.

Thank you for that stunning volley away to Wolves; your last Premier League goal in a Newcastle shirt and arguably your best to salvage a precious point.

Thank you for end-of-season assists in huge wins over Man Utd and West Ham; two results that played a key role in our top-four finish.

Thank you for supporting the team when others may not. Even when your move to Saudi was all but done, you took to Instagram to celebrate Elliot Anderson’s goal and wish Jamal Lewis well at Watford.

Thank you for being you. Expressive on and off the field and never afraid to share your love for Newcastle United, your teammates, the manager and us fans.

Thank you for offering hope and excitement during the Steve Bruce era and giving your all under Eddie Howe; a man who clearly has nothing but love and respect for you based on his recent comments.

You arrived a young man fighting to keep this club in the Premier League and leave ahead of our first season in the Champions League for 20 years. I’m sad you won’t be part of our European nights at St James’ Park – something you deserved after staying with us during the tough times – but thankful for all you have done and the memories you leave behind.

We will miss you and never forget what you did for this club. “Once a Geordie, always a Geordie.”

Thank you for everything, Allan.

4 years ago, I wore the Newcastle jersey for the first time. At that moment, I hadn’t realized that not only was I about to become a Newcastle player, but I was also about to become a Geordie.

You might think « nice Goodbye message » but the sentiment runs deeper than any words… pic.twitter.com/wA0RsQfEZF

— Allan Saint-Maximin (@asaintmaximin) July 29, 2023