Sven Botman shares his ‘surprise’ at pre-season intensity since joining Newcastle

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Sven Botman has given his honest assessment of his first pre-season as a Newcastle United player – and it’s been tough.

The 22-year-old officially joined the Magpies at the start of the July, finally ending a lengthy transfer saga. He’s now a Toon player, costing £35million from Lille.

We’ve seem glimpses of the Dutchman’s talents so far, and he certainly looks impressive. His ability on the ball is a sight to behold, and could be a real weapon for us this season.

Behind the scenes, Botman is getting to know his new teammates, and learning how Eddie Howe wants to play. Now the defender has given his thoughts on his first few weeks as a Newcastle player.

Sven Botman on pre-season

The summer signing has spoke to the Shields Gazette, and was asked about how he’s finding pre-season.

“It’s totally different compared to Holland and France,” he said.

“The intensity is much quicker, and the training is tougher. The pre-season is heavier.

“The coach is really good, he demands a lot from the players, so the level is going higher and higher, which I think is really good. If you want to reach these kind of goals, you need that level.

“I was really surprised by certain things, but things are going well. I’m just excited to see us play in the Premier League.”

Countdown to Botman’s debut is on

It won’t be long before pre-season ends and Newcastle can start focussing on competitive football. The Magpies kick off the new season at home to Nottingham Forest on August 6th.

Botman will be hoping to start, which seems very likely considering how much he cost. While Howe took his time bedding Bruno Guimaraes into the team, Botman has had the chance to train with his new team over the summer.

It’s very encouraging to hear him speak about how intense training is and how impressed he is with the manager. It’s a far cry from 12 months ago when we went into the new season unfit and underprepared.

Things should be totally different under Howe. He already made the team fitter last season, and that appears to have continued throughout the summer.

Howe is meticulous in his approach, and Botman should be more than prepared for his first season in English football. It’s tough now, but it will all be worth it when the season kicks off.