Joelinton knows what it is like to move to Newcastle United from a foreign country.
He did it five years ago, with Newcastle United signing him from Hoffenheim in 2019.
There was massive pressure on Joelinton when he arrived, at a time when the club and its fans were at odds with each other.
Rafa Benitez had just left as manager and been replaced by Steve Bruce, while Mike Ashley was struggling to sell the club. Then Joelinton arrived for £40million and was given the number nine shirt, replacing fan favourite Salomon Rondon.
What followed was an incredibly tough start to life on Tyneside for Joelinton, with the Brazilian quickly proving that he really was not a number nine. Then came lockdown due to COVID, which made Joelinton’s adaptation to life in the North East even tougher.
Joelinton helped Sandro Tonali when he arrived at Newcastle
But Joelinton is settled now, and is a key player for Eddie Howe. He is a senior figure at Newcastle United, and tries his best to help new signings adapt.
That is what he did with Sandro Tonali, who became Newcastle’s second most expensive signing ever when he arrived from AC Milan for £55million last summer.
Joelinton has spoke to the Telegraph about Tonali’s arrival on Tyneside, as the 24-year-old edges closer to the end of his 10-month ban for betting.
“He’s a great lad,” he said.
“The first day with the group, I tried to help him because I know how difficult it is to come to a new club in a new country. I try to make him comfortable with the team, happy to be here.
“He works really hard and I hope he can really help the team this season because he’s a great player.”
Sandro Tonali has had a tough first year at Newcastle
Joelinton deserves credit for trying to help Tonali feel welcome. He knows how tough it can be, and he played his part as Tonali arrived at Newcastle with so much hype and an inability to speak English.
Then came criticism of Tonali’s start to life in black and white, followed by a betting investigation from the Italian Football Federation. That resulted in a 10-month ban for the midfielder, whose career was put on hold.
It has been an extremely challenging year for Tonali, but he has received a lot of support. Joelinton is someone who has provided exactly that, helping the Italian even before his gambling addiction came to light.
He is receiving the help he needs, while it is almost time for him to play again. Tonali is working extremely hard in pre-season, ahead of his first Premier League match since October on September 1st against Tottenham Hotspur.
Joelinton is hoping that Tonali can help the team, and that is exactly what should happen. He is like a new signing, with fans bubbling with excitement at the thought of that duo playing alongside Bruno Guimaraes in black and white.
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