Joe Willock opens up on his decision to leave Arsenal to join Newcastle United

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Joe Willock has opened up on his decision to leave Arsenal and join Newcastle United permanently.

The 21-year-old officially left his boyhood club on Friday to complete a move to Tyneside in a deal worth up to £25million.

Willock was then unveiled in front of an ecstatic St James’s Park crowd before the Premier League opener to West Ham United.

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He watched on as his new teammates lost 4-2, despite leading 2-1 in the first-half following goals from Callum Wilson and Jacob Murphy.

Newcastle United midfielder Joe Willock. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)Newcastle United midfielder Joe Willock. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)
Newcastle United midfielder Joe Willock. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

But while Willock was more than happy to return to the North East, he explained why it was a difficult decision to leave the Gunners.

Willock progressed through the academy ranks before going on to make 77 first-team appearances.

Once he decided to depart the Emirates however, there was only one club in his sights.

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"It wasn’t straightforward at all,” Willock told BBC Radio Newcastle.

“It was a big step for me in my career to leave my boyhood club and move away from my comfort zone.

"The Newcastle fans, team and manager made it easier to make the decision.

"The love I have for Newcastle is immense, so it made the decision very easy for me towards the end.”

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Willock first joined Newcastle on loan in January and scored eight goals in 14 appearances – including a club-record equalling seven in seven.

Head coach Bruce made no secret of his desire to bring Willock back to Tyneside, labelling him his number one transfer target.

Bruce and the United fanbase had to be patient before getting their man.

Willock continued: "I had the option to stay (at Arsenal) or look at other avenues to better my career and I choose the second option.

"Coming back to Newcastle was always at the top of my list.

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“When I decided to leave Arsenal, there was only one place I was going to go and it was going to be Newcastle.”

Willock featured for Mikel Arteta’s side in pre-season and was denied a clear equaliser in a 2-1 friendly defeat to Chelsea when the ball crossed the line but was not spotted by the officials.

But as Willock continued to train with Arsenal, he believed something was missing – and that was Newcastle United.

He added: “For me, it was all about the feeling I got when I played in front of the fans and the feeling when I stepped out at St James’s Park.

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"The love I have for the club never left me when I went back to Arsenal.

"It was always in the back of my mind and heart that something was missing and I feel like it was Newcastle United.

"That’s when I spoke to my team and my father and I said I feel like it’s best for me to take the next step of my career and go back to Newcastle United.

"It was a hard decision. I’ve been at Arsenal since I was four-and-a-half, they given me loads of opportunities and they’ve helped me in so many ways.”

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