Juventus head coach Luciano Spalletti has given a colourful assessment of new signing Nick Woltemade after the Newcastle loanee’s positive debut against AC Milan at the weekend.
The German striker came off the bench in the 75th minute with Juventus trailing 1-0 and nearly made an immediate impact.
The ball fell kindly for Woltemade in the penalty area and he swung a boot at it, but was ultimately unable to keep his shot down as the chance went begging.
Woltemade did manage to win a free-kick in stoppage time, however, and the Turin side capitalised, with Federico Gatti heading home a dramatic equaliser to secure a valuable point against Ruben Amorim‘s side in Serie A.
After the match, veteran coach Spalletti compared his new player to a Friesian horse, the breed known for its long, flowing mane and tail.
Spalletti told Tuttosport: ‘What type of horse is he? I have a Friesian, he seems very similar to me. He is statuesque, he inspires a bit of fear from a physical point of view and then he is very sweet and lets himself be stroked and ridden.
Juventus boss Spalletti compared Woltemade to his horse, saying: ‘He is statuesque, he inspires a bit of fear and then he is very sweet and lets himself be stroked and ridden’
The Friesian horse is most known for its all-black coat colour, long, flowing mane and tail, feathering on its legs, high head carriage, and high-stepping action
‘He becomes very good also in relations with his teammates. He’s good at holding his own physically, and ever since I met him, he’s been smiling constantly. He’s so happy to be here, and that’s already a big thing.’
Woltemade, who joined Juventus on deadline day on a season-long loan for £3.5 million, with no obligation or option to buy, was also praised by his new coach for his technical skills.
‘With Nick you can play the ball on his feet, he knows how to play horizontally and can also be used vertically because he has this physicality and this height. Usually it is difficult to find these two worlds in the same player.
‘The two-metre-tall one is a finisher perhaps in the area but then he is less relational on the pitch, but instead he has both things and then he has this great quality of being very joyful and very festive also in the way he behaves on the pitch.’
Despite getting off to a positive start in his Premier League career for Newcastle last term, scoring four goals in his opening five games, Woltemade dropped off towards the end of the season.
He managed to register just one goal between mid-December and the end of the season, scoring against relegation-bound West Ham in the penultimate weekend.
Recognising that it will take time for Woltemade to adjust to a new league, Spalletti added: ‘I can help him in the pressure he will encounter at this club, even if we start with an advantage because he has the same colours he wore in the previous team (Newcastle). I told him that we were waiting for a player of this level and this quality.
‘He brings with him the context of the Premier League, where everything is more physical, faster, and more determined in terms of game situations. Bringing a bit of Premier League into our team raises our level. We’re happy.’
Newcastle brought in winger Matias Fernandez-Pardo for £51.4m on deadline day, but have not replaced Woltemade with an out-and-out No 9.
