Newcastle United striker Yoane Wissa has conceded he rushed back too quickly from a knee injury but insisted he is “a soldier” as he vowed to improve on an awful first season at the club.
Wissa joined Newcastle in a £55million deadline day move from Brentford in September, with his signing made shortly after the £69m club-record deal for Nick Woltemade as the Magpies attempted to fill the void left by Alexander Isak’s £125m departure to Liverpool.
But Wissa, who scored 17 goals last season for Brentford, was unable to make his debut until a 2-1 win over Burnley in December after suffering a knee injury on international duty with DR Congo immediately after signing.
Wissa has since struggled to make an impact. He scored in an EFL Cup quarter-final with Fulham in his first start for the club on December 17 and then found the net in an away win over Burnley 13 days later.
However, he has not found the net since scoring in a Champions League victory against PSV Eindhoven in January.
Wissa has received a distinct lack of minutes from manager Eddie Howe in recent times, with both Anthony Gordon and Will Osula preferred as striking options ahead of him and Woltemade.
Woltemade teed up Wissa for a potential equaliser in last week’s 1-0 defeat at Arsenal, Newcastle’s fourth successive Premier League loss, only for the 29-year-old to fire a volley over the bar from close range with only David Raya to beat.
Wissa proud to wear Newcastle shirt
That missed opportunity summed up the start to his Newcastle career, and there is talk the Magpies will look to sell Wissa in the summer as part of the rebuild of a squad that has slumped to 14th in the Premier League, eight points above the relegation zone with four games to go.
But Wissa is determined to prove his worth at Newcastle.
In an interview with JoelBeyaTV, Wissa said: “I didn’t wait for the proper time to come back [from injury]. It should have definitely been more.
“You just want to catch the train, but that was impossible, because my knee wasn’t right.
“I am a soldier. I will keep going. I want the fans to know the love I have for this shirt.
“Looking forward to next season, I understand how big this club is, I hope I’m going to do better. It’s such a privilege. I just want to wear the shirt.”
Wissa will hope to be involved on Saturday when Newcastle host Brighton and Hove Albion as they bid to stop the rot and end any lingering talk of a relegation scrap.
