Nick Woltemade is basking in the glow of a dream debut for Newcastle United, a performance that earned him not just a winning goal but also high praise from club legend Alan Shearer. The 23-year-old German striker, who recently completed a club-record transfer from VfB Stuttgart, marked his first appearance at St. James' Park with a superb header, sealing a 1-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Woltemade's match-winning contribution came in the first half, when he rose highest to meet a Jacob Murphy cross, nodding the ball past Wolves keeper Sam Johnstone. The goal, coming less than half an hour into the game, not only showcased Woltemade's aerial prowess but also secured Newcastle's first Premier League win of the season.
Shearer, the Premier League's all-time record goalscorer and a Newcastle icon renowned for his heading ability, was quick to acknowledge Woltemade's impact. Taking to social media platform X, Shearer lauded the goal with a concise but emphatic, "What a cross and an even better header".
Woltemade himself expressed his delight at catching the eye of such a revered figure. "Of course, he's the legend," Woltemade said of Shearer. "He scored a lot of goals, and of course, I'm happy about it". He further revealed that he has been diligently working on his heading technique, recognizing its importance given his height. "I worked a lot on it the last weeks, the last months, and the last year. With my height, I guess you have to," he explained. "You can get more goals if you can have a good header".
The transition to the Premier League has been a swift one for Woltemade, who only joined Newcastle at the end of August. Despite having just a handful of training sessions with his new teammates, he slotted seamlessly into the team, displaying impressive link-up play and an ability to bring others into the game. Woltemade acknowledged the increased pace and intensity of the English top flight compared to the Bundesliga. "Yes, it's faster; also, the duels are more intense," he noted.
Woltemade's journey to Newcastle began at TS Woltmershausen before joining Werder Bremen's youth setup in 2010. He made his Bundesliga debut for Werder Bremen in 2020, becoming the club's youngest-ever player in the competition at the time. After a loan spell at SV Elversberg, he moved to VfB Stuttgart, where his performances earned him recognition as one of the Bundesliga's most exciting attackers. His sparkling 2024/25 season with Stuttgart also earned him his first call-up to the German national team. In August 2025, Newcastle United completed a club-record deal for Nick.
Looking ahead, Woltemade is relishing the opportunity to test himself in the Champions League, with Newcastle set to face Barcelona at St. James' Park. "It's my first Champions League game at home here at St. James' Park against Barcelona. I guess it can't be better, so I'm really looking forward to it," he said. While eager to score goals, Woltemade emphasized the importance of the team's success. "I want to score goals, but I guess today was also important that we won the game. Now I want to keep going and try my best every game, and if then the goals come, of course, I'm really happy about it," he stated.
