Nick Woltemade scores twice in Luxembourg and saves Germany from embarrassment. In the interview he talks about comparisons with center forward legend Rudi Völler, the transfer theater in the summer and his life in Newcastle.
With two goals, Nick Woltemade was one of the few bright spots in the German national team’s more than arduous 2-0 victory in Luxembourg. His accuracy will also be in demand in the final group game on Monday (8.45 p.m., ZDF and in the WELT live ticker) against Slovakia. A draw is enough for direct qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
Ask: Mr. Woltemade, the topic of pressure has been a dominant one for you in the last few months: first around your change of club, then in the first games at the DFB you didn’t score a goal. How big was the relief after your 1-0 win in the international match against Northern Ireland that set the course for the 2026 World Cup?
Nick Woltemade (23): I didn’t think it was that dramatic. I hadn’t scored in five games before, so I didn’t give it a second thought. I was still very happy, although at first I thought I had touched the ball with my arm: at first I couldn’t really be happy about my debut goal for the national team. But then it was a very important goal for us as a team.
Ask: Does counting minutes for strikers annoy you when they don’t score?
Woltemade: I’m a striker – that’s part of my business! Pleasant is something else, but that’s the price we pay for playing there. As a striker you are under the most pressure, and if I hadn’t scored straight away in Newcastle it would probably have happened too. But that’s part of the striker’s position.
Ask: The DFB has a former striker, sports director Rudi Völler, who has had a lot of experience with this. You are also said to have a certain similarity to him…
Woltemade: I’ve seen the comparisons and I find them very funny. From a sporting perspective, it’s an honor anyway. We didn’t explicitly talk about the goalless minutes, but Rudi always tries to make me feel good.
Ask: After their double pack against Luxembourg (2-0), Germany now has a final against Slovakia for World Cup qualification. Just a formality?
Woltemade: Maybe that’s the feeling from outside. We have seen how difficult it is to win these games. Slovakia has many internationally experienced professionals, even if this is perhaps downplayed from outside. Slovakia is not a small nation in football, it won’t be a sure-fire success. We know what to expect: a very unpleasant game.
Ask: At Newcastle you immediately realized: How important was it that there was no counting of minutes there?
Woltemade: Very relieving. The whole Newcastle package had potential for excitement: because I came on the last day. Then the transfer. The expectations of me because Alexander Isak, Newcastle’s top striker, has left. The start of the season was not ideal. There was already pressure there – I was very happy that it was relieved. I quickly noticed in Newcastle that it wasn’t just a good fit on a footballing level, but also on a human level.
Ask: You just mentioned your transfer yourself: How strongly was the topic present in the summer?
Woltemade: The topic of transfers was very present and I couldn’t get past it. I was confronted with this often. But I didn’t choose that, I have the least ability to decide what amounts are involved. I was still happy that Newcastle saw enough in me to pay that amount. For me, for Nick Woltemade as a person, it makes no difference whether I go from Werder to Stuttgart for a free transfer or from VfB to Newcastle for 75 million euros. Even though I know that the transfer fee means a few more pairs of eyes will be on me. The issue of transfer fees is seen in a much more relaxed manner in England than in Germany. The issue of transfer fees doesn’t play a role in the team anyway.
Ask: When it was still unclear where you were going in the summer, Max Eberl asked reporters during the Club World Cup: “Is Nick Woltemade worth 80 million?” Bayern really wanted you at that point. How did you take this moment?
Woltemade: I was already on vacation, after the U21 European Championships I just wanted to enjoy my free time. When there was more and more discussion about me and this transfer, I put my cell phone away. When the statement was made I was in Como with friends. It wasn’t until the evening that messages about this statement popped up on my phone. But I know how it is in the business that questions can be awkward when you’re in front of the camera. Therefore: everything is fine, nothing gets stuck…
Ask: … and in the end the market sets the price.
Woltemade: Exactly, that’s right.
Ask: Lothar Matthäus now explained in the “Bayern-Insider” podcast that you are now worth 100 million euros.
Woltemade: In England you don’t get to see everything every day anymore, it’s chilling (laughs). But of course, my market value has increased significantly. I don’t know whether Lothar is right. But of course I am honored by the statement.
Ask: More negative was Karl-Heinz Rummenigge’s statement that Stuttgart had found “an idiot” in Newcastle who paid this sum – which Bayern did not want to pay.
Woltemade: My teammates commented on it, I didn’t. I think that was correct. This summer a lot was made of my name, Bayern and transfer fee, that was the story of the summer. To answer your question again: The headlines afterwards said “idiots” everywhere. But I read through Mr. Rummenigge’s entire statement – it was certainly a bit unfortunate, but not quite that dramatic.
Ask: Was a possible move to FC Bayern also discussed in the national team?
Woltemade: We talked about the situation, especially because we also met in the Supercup when Stuttgart met Bayern. But the next time we saw each other, I had already signed for Newcastle anyway.
Ask: How great was the pressure on you during the Supercup? Everyone knew that you wanted to go to Bayern. But the move fell through – and you met Bayern, still as a VfB player?
Woltemade: In fact, I would have imagined it worse. At the beginning I thought to myself: It’s not entirely ideal that my first game for Stuttgart is against Bayern. But then it was actually really pleasant and relaxed.
Ask: Which Bayern player was the first to congratulate you on your move to Newcastle?
Woltemade: I got a lot of messages that day, I really don’t remember. When I joined the national team afterwards, everyone congratulated me.
Ask: Also the players from FC Bayern, the club that wanted you?
Woltemade: The Bayern players also congratulated me. When you see a player take a step forward, congratulations are given. That was the case for me too, there were no negative voices, especially since I had special circumstances.
Ask: Will the two months already help England in terms of maturity and experience – also with their standing in the national team?
Woltemade: That helps a lot. Those were two months in which I experienced a lot. We played every three days and I was in the starting line-up almost every game. I had to be there right away, which worked very well. The league is much, much more physical than in Germany.
Ask: In the beginning you even had regular cramps.
Woltemade: True, but that went away quickly because I was allowed to go every three days. I feel very good, I got used to it quickly. But it’s a big difference. The referees whistle a lot less, the game has a lot more flow. It’s very intense. And competing with the best every three days obviously helps me for the national team too!
Ask: Is the Premier League the greatest league in the world?
Woltemade: That depends on what you want to see. If you want to see open sights, intensity, sprints, a quick back and forth – then: yes. It’s going very well! I still watch the Bundesliga, there is a clear difference in intensity. It’s really cool, a game like that against Arsenal, it’s really amazing in terms of intensity! It’s fun!
Ask: Is there contact with Newcastle legend Alan Shearer? Not only is he a club legend, but he is the Premier League’s top goalscorer.
Woltemade: We haven’t met yet, but we’ve written a few times. At the beginning he texted: “Good luck, great club.” Now, after the first goals, he also wrote: “It’s cool that it worked so well!”
Ask: How big is your World Cup dream, how does the offensive line Wirtz, Musiala, Woltemade sound to you?
Woltemade: For which player is the World Cup not a dream? It would be a dream to play there in 2026 – and then possibly in this offensive line. But it’s still a long time away. I’ve seen for myself what can happen in six months. A lot will still happen. I’m trying to get myself in the best condition and carry on like I did last time: so that my World Cup dream comes true.
Ask: What always stands out: their size. You are 1.98 meters – is it even possible not to be recognized in Newcastle?
Woltemade: My life has changed a lot. There has been a lot of attention in Germany lately, but in England it is even more extreme. Going out without photos is difficult. Especially in Newcastle, people love the nines, the players who score goals, that’s even more special. But it’s very nice and I’m very happy there. When the whole stadium sings your name after goals, that’s really cool.
The interview was conducted for the Sports Competence Center (WELT, „Bild“, “Sport Image”) was created and first published in “Bild am Sonntag”.
