Sunderland beat Newcastle United 1-0 in December, thanks to a Nick Woltemade own goal.

Newcastle United striker Nick Woltemade has opened up on his own goal in last month’s Wear-Tyne Derby against Sunderland, and how he was affected by the decisive strike in the days following.

The German forward, a £69 million summer signing for the Magpies, headed into his own net at Stadium of Light in mid-December, handing Regis Le Bris’ battling hosts a memorable 1-0 victory in the process.

But despite the nightmarish nature of Woltemade’s contribution on Wearside, and the initial emotional toll that it took on him, the 23-year-old has insisted that he has bounced back well from the incident - with the help of Newcastle supporters.

What did Newcastle United striker Nick Woltemade say about his own goal vs Sunderland?

In a recent interview with Newcastle United’s matchday programme, Woltemade said: “When I scored the own goal, I didn’t know how people would react because of course it’s the most important game for the fans. When I came to the dressing room, I was really sad and then I looked at my phone and already had good messages.

“No-one was blaming me. After this moment, the feeling was really bad but the fans made it easier for me. Of course, I’m still really sad about it, especially in this game that I couldn’t give it [the win] to the fans after what they gave me in the first weeks and months.

“But when I came on against Fulham [a few days later], this reaction is not normal. It’s special. I was hoping for the reaction but I never expected it. I like this special environment. Everyone was screaming my name and my songs after what happened. I can only really say thank you to the fans for this and it gives me a good feeling that I’m in the right place.”

Woltemade’s goal ensured that Sunderland extended their unbeaten run in the league over their bitter rivals to 10 matches - a streak that stretches all the way back to August 2011.

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Speaking at the time, Toon boss Eddie Howe issued an apology for his side’s lacklustre showing in the derby. He said: “That is going to sting for a long time, and we know that our performance was off from what we needed it to be today. Not from a defensive perspective, I thought we defended pretty well today and through the game, but there were really few chances for both teams. Unfortunately, one big moment goes against us, and it was a bizarre goal to lose the game with, but it happened and we weren't good enough to open them up.

“Criticism comes with every defeat, but of course, with this one, I think it will be louder and stronger, just because of the game and the importance of the game, and we fully acknowledge that, and that's why it hurts so much. I'm so disappointed for our supporters and sorry for the performance, really, in the sense of the lack of goalmouth action, the lack of clinical attacking, which we've tried to pride ourselves on over recent seasons. It wasn't there today, and for that, we're sorry.”

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