In The Spotlight
Nick Woltemade – Newcastle United’s unlikely cult hero
In this series, The Straits Times highlights the players or teams to watch in the world of sport. Today, we focus on Newcastle United striker Nick Woltemade, who has surprised many stepping into the big shoes of Alexander Isak.
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Nick Woltemade of Germany celebrates after scoring against Slovakia in a World Cup qualifier.
PHOTO: EPA
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In the sweltering chaos of a late summer transfer window, Newcastle United found themselves in hot water. Their talismanic striker, Alexander Isak, had forced through a £125 million (S$213.4 million) move to Liverpool
The Magpies, under manager Eddie Howe, scrambled for a replacement. They lost out to their rivals for targets like Benjamin Sesko and Hugo Ekitike, before landing on an unlikely saviour – 23-year-old German forward Nick Woltemade from VfB Stuttgart.
Signed in a club-record £69 million deal on Aug 30, Woltemade arrived not as a proven English Premier League predator, but as a relatively unknown player with just 70 Bundesliga appearances under his belt.
Bayern Munich board member Karl-Heinz Rummenigge even claimed that Newcastle were “idiots” for meeting Stuttgart’s asking price.
Yet, three months later, the 1.98m Woltemade has silenced the doubters, emerging as his new team’s breakout star and an unexpected cult hero. His blend of aerial dominance, silky link-up play and relentless work rate has pushed him out of Isak’s shadow and into the limelight.
Born in Bremen on Feb 14, 2002, Woltemade became Werder Bremen’s youngest-ever league debutant at 17 when he started against Augsburg in the 2019-20 campaign, according to the Bundesliga website.
A loan to SV Elversberg in Germany’s 3. Liga yielded 10 goals in 31 league appearances, but his breakthrough came at Stuttgart in 2024-25. It was there where he erupted for 17 goals in 33 matches across all competitions, including a strike in the DFB-Pokal final victory.
That season’s haul, capped by six goals and the top scorer’s gong at the 2025 European Under-21 Championship, earned him a call-up to the Germany national team and interest from Bayern.
Newcastle moved decisively, viewing him as the perfect replacement to Isak’s explosive runs.
“He fits the profile of exactly what we have been looking to add to our attacking options,” Howe said upon his arrival, emphasising Woltemade’s technical gifts over raw pace.
The pressure was immense from Day 1. Thrust into the line-up after just four training sessions, Woltemade debuted against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sept 13, scoring the winner with a header in a 1-0 victory.
It was the first of three consecutive home Premier League goals at St James’ Park, matching a feat achieved only by club legends Les Ferdinand and Alan Shearer.
Across all competitions, the German has tallied six goals in 14 appearances for Newcastle.
But what elevates Woltemade beyond stats are his intangibles – the very traits forging his cult status.
Fans, starved for a post-Isak focal point, latched on to his humility. According to a post on X by The Athletic on Sept 15, he was spotted at local Persian eatery Dood on the Quayside, shopping at Tesco, and obliging endless selfies in a baseball cap.
Inside the club, he has been described as “distinctive”, “different”, “unique” and “breaking the mould”.
On the pitch, he showed on his debut he was willing to sprint back to chase a loose ball, prompting Shearer to say: “What you have to do at St James’ Park is do what the fans do, the fans work hard to pay for their tickets. And he has to do that. There was no better way to endear himself to them.”
And as recently as late October, the club legend was convinced by Woltemade and made his feelings clear.
“He’s a handful. With his work rate and with his goals, the Newcastle fans will continue to love him,” Shearer told BBC Sport.
Howe, too, has been won over.
“On and off the pitch, he’s been first class. The way he’s conducted himself, handled the move, the way he’s embraced his teammates,” the Newcastle boss said in November.
“His team ethics are excellent. He’s got an ability to score goals, to be in the right position.
“Technically, he’s very good. We still have to bring out more in his game and help him in every way we can – the early signs are very positive.”
Woltemade’s adaptation has not been seamless, however. The Premier League’s ferocity hit hard; on debut, cramp struck amid the relentless pace of the English top flight.
Speaking ahead of Germany’s World Cup qualifiers this past week, he reflected: “The biggest difference between the top leagues and the Premier League is the intensity and the physicality... That’s really demanded at Newcastle. It helps my game and helps me as a player overall.”
Internationally, Woltemade’s trajectory mirrors his club form.
Debuting for Germany in June’s Nations League semi-final against Portugal, he notched his first senior goal in October’s 1-0 World Cup qualifying win over Northern Ireland.
The floodgates opened in November – a second-half double in a 2-0 win against Luxembourg 6-0 demolition of Slovakia
This dual dominance – 10 goals for club and country in 2025-26 – has Newcastle dreaming big.
Despite a mid-table wobble, Woltemade’s presence has stabilised their attack, with Howe noting his “inner drive and self-belief” as key to thriving post-Isak.
For Woltemade, it is validation after the pressures of replacing Isak.
“A huge relief,” he told Bild this week, of easing the early tension.
“The whole Newcastle package had potential for tension, especially since I arrived on the last day. Then there was the transfer fee and the expectations placed on me because Alexander Isak had left.”
As winter looms, with Manchester City visiting St James’ Park on Nov 22, Woltemade is now heating up to be a key player for the Magpies.
From deadline-day gamble to World Cup qualifier, he is not just replacing Isak, he is cementing the No. 9 role, one towering leap at a time. Big Nick has arrived, and he is here to stay.
