Nick Woltemade has continued his charm offensive by pitching Newcastle to fans back in Germany.

The lofty striker sat down with BILD ahead of a Boxing Day match against Manchester United and explained why he is so happy in England.

“People here are completely football fanatics,” he said. “In the North East, there isn’t much else besides Newcastle.

“For those who aren’t familiar with English football, I always say: Newcastle is like Gelsenkirchen. Schalke is the symbol of its region for many people. And it’s exactly the same in Newcastle.”

He added: “The fan culture is completely different here. When we played against FC Barcelona, ​​all we had to do was put pressure on our opponents for the whole stadium to erupt – literally every stand!

“Our home games are incredible. The locals live for Newcastle. I’ve never seen a city where people walk around with so much club merchandise in the streets.”

Newcastle is in fact twinned with Gelsenkirchen, with Schalke one of the best supported clubs in Europe and the fourth highest average attendance on the continent.