JOE WILLOCK has spoken out about his move away from Arsenal, but thinks it was the right thing to do.
The Newcastle midfielder left the Gunners last season after a successful loan spell in the North East.
Since signing for the Magpies he has been a crucial part of Eddie Howe’s set up and has helped the team to compete for the top four this season.
The 23-year-old revealed in an interview with The Telegraph that he was hurt that Arsenal were happy to let him leave permanently.
He said: “When the talk of a permanent move started I wasn’t sure, you know.
“The fans probably made that decision easier but also Steve Bruce. He really fought to bring me here, he was great for me.
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“We had loads of conversations on the phone that summer. I wasn’t valued at Arsenal, that became clear.
“When I had a meeting with them, it was obvious they wanted me to go. Yeah, it hurt.”
Willock has developed as a player since signing for Newcastle including adding goals to his game, scoring 13 times for the club since making the move.
It’s not just his football that has changed though, as he admitted in his interview that he also feels as if he has grown into man with Eddie Howe’s side.
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He said: “I think I arrived a boy and have turned into a man, maybe not so much in that short period of time on loan, but making the difficult decision to sign permanently.
“I look back now and I’ve definitely grown up a lot. I was so young and raw.”
Willock has now featured for the Newcastle first team more times than he ever did for Arsenal.
Newcastle still face a battle to try and maintain their position in third place in the league as they hope to bring Champions League football back to St James’ Park for the first time since 2003.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
