Newcastle United have had some poor strikers over the years and one that still sits fresh in the memory is Spanish striker Joselu Mato.
Joselu was part of the Newcastle squad between 2017-2019 and barely a week went by that fans wouldn’t question his ability. After moving to Spain he’s become a different player entirely and has now earned his first senior international call-up.
According to a report in The Sun, if Joselu steps onto the pitch for Spain tonight against Norway he will write himself into the history books as the oldest player to make their debut for Spain since 2006 at 32 years and 363 days.
It never clicked for Joselu at Newcastle
The Spaniard made 52 appearances for Newcastle with a goal return of just seven. Hardly the next Alan Shearer.
Newcastle eventually moved him on and he returned to his native Spain with Alavés for an undisclosed fee. That move seemed to unlock the goal scorer within and Joselu went on to bag 36 goals in 113 outings earning himself a move to Espanyol in the summer as a free agent.
This season Joselu has bagged 13 goals and provided four assists in his 27 appearances for Espanyol in all competitions. The pick of the bunch is his goal against Getafe which he pinged in from just over the half-way line.
Joselu is ageing in reverse it seems
Speaking about his call-up, Joselu said he found out while walking his dog: “Suddenly I looked at my mobile phone and saw the tweet. I forwarded the video.
“I didn’t see who was there, I just saw my name and threw my cell phone.
“My wife, very excited… me too. These are the kinds of things you dream about, but don’t believe until you’re there.
“I’m enjoying it like I’m 18 years old.”
While he hardly set the world alight at Newcastle, we wish him the best of luck tonight and hope he gets to make his debut. What a story.