Newcastle United midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum has revealed how the Magpies’ hierarchy convinced him to ditch life in Holland for a switch to Tyneside over the summer.
Wijnaldum captained PSV Eindhoven to the Eredivisie title last season and scooped the Dutch Footballer Of The Year award as a reward for his consistently outstanding displays for the Farmers over the course of the 2014/15 campaign.
However, to the surprise of many, the ambitious Holland international chose to leave the Champions League side in order to test himself in the Premier League with Steve McClaren’s new-look Newcastle team.
Despite being the Magpies’ star performer this season, with eight Premier League goals to date, Wijnaldum finds himself in a Newcastle side lingering at the foot of the table and in grave danger of suffering relegation from the top-flight for the second time under chairman Mike Ashley’s eight-year stewardship.
Speaking to The Chronicle, Wijnaldum admitted that he is surprised to be involved in a relegation battle with his new club, however, the 25-year-old insists the Magpies are still very much a work in progress:
“I spoke with the manager before I came here and they told me 2015 was a bad year and that they wanted good signings to create a new team.
“They want to be a lot of places higher in the Premier League. It’s difficult, three players won’t change a team.
“You need more and those who are already at the club must help to make it a better team. Those things will always take time but we don’t have time right now.
“We’re in the relegation zone and we need good performances and points.
“We’ll see what will happen in the next couple of months.”
