Bruno Guimaraes shares what people were calling him after he signed for Newcastle

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Bruno Guimaraes took a risk when joining Newcastle United in January 2022.

At the time, there was a very real prospect a player with Champions League experience could be swapping Lyon for a team bound for the Championship.

Still, Guimaraes has had a profound impact on Newcastle.

It is hard to imagine the club making it back into the Champions League just one full season into the PIF and Eddie Howe era without the 25-year-old pulling strings in the middle of the park.

Seemingly delighted with how things are going at St James’ Park, this summer has offered a chance to reflect.

Speaking to Globo Esporte that’s exactly what he has done.

Bruno Guimaraes shares what people were calling him after signing for Newcastle

Indeed, the midfielder has opened up on the initial move to Newcastle.

He now shares that people were calling him “crazy” for moving to a team battling relegation with no guarantee they would survive.

“When I arrived, it was already the new project (with a new owner), but the club was in the relegation zone, penultimate,” he said.

“A lot of people called me crazy, crazy for going there, but it was the best decision of my life. In the following season, we already got a place in the Champions League and stopped the city. I can’t even imagine what it’s going to be like if we’re champions.

“The guys are going to put that down. It was special, a remarkable year for everyone. We stayed at the G-4 for almost 30 rounds. We really deserve this Champions League.”

It’s amazing to think how far Newcastle and Guimaraes have come

Given the protracted nature of last season with a World Cup slap bang in the middle of it, it’s easy to forget the fact that Newcastle were fighting relegation not long ago.

It would have been easy for Guimaraes to sit tight at Lyon and wait to see what happened at St James’ Park for the rest of the 2021/22 season.

In fact, even easier still to try and join a club not in such a precarious position.

But to come in and transform a team at a ridiculously low ebb says so much about him as both a player and a person.

The beating heart of Howe’s team, it should be considered an honour for Newcastle to give a player like Guimaraes the highest platform on which to strut his stuff.