William Osula featured late on in Newcastle United’s 0-0 draw with Aston Villa, but his involvement suggests one thing he will not like to hear.
After signing for around £10million in 2024, the Dane was not able to show his abilities in the Premier League, with Eddie Howe handing him just 14 appearances.
All of his minutes in the Premier League came off the bench last season, with his only starts coming in the FA Cup and Carabao Cup. Reports in March suggested that Howe does not trust William Osula to play in important games, but the 22-year-old was given a rare chance to impress in pre-season while Alexander Isak was absent from the squad.
Osula was the lead striker for the majority of pre-season, but was unable to find the back of the net in any of his appearances. Despite that, Osula is a favourite amongst the Newcastle United fans, with his off-field antics winning over many.
Fans are still waiting for the moment Osula finally gets his Premier League start, but they may have to wait as Howe is favouring Anthony Gordon up front for now. With Osula still waiting for his moment to shine, his late substitution suggests something the Dane will not be a fan of.
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Eddie Howe may still not trust William Osula after late substitution
Osula returned to Newcastle early for pre-season training, perhaps as a way to show Howe his eagerness and desire to play more frequently.
The move must have rubbed off on Howe to some extent, given the number of starts he got during pre-season. However, Osula was relegated to the bench for the Magpies’ opener against Aston Villa.
Howe could have easily brought Osula on shortly after Villa were reduced to 10 men when centre-back Ezri Konsa was sent off for a last-man foul on Gordon, but the 47-year-old did not bring him on until stoppage time.
While Howe may have been managing the game and ensuring his side was not caught out on the break, there would have been a clear benefit to having another attacker on the field, especially with an extra man.
The Newcastle manager’s call to bring Osula on so late into the game suggests that he still does not completely trust him to perform in a game of such importance. When he did come on, Osula managed to find space for a shot late into the game, only for the effort to be headed away by Tyrone Mings.
William Osula called for more game time at Newcastle United in June
Earlier in the summer, Osula was a big star in the Under-21 European Championships, with his attacking returns helping Denmark get out of the group stages, before being knocked out in the quarter-finals of the tournament.
Osula was one of the top players in the competition, registering five goal involvements in four games. His form was sure to have caught the attention of Howe, and given Osula hope that more minutes in the Premier League could be coming his way.
In a post-match interview, Osula called for more minutes at Newcastle and for Denmark, in an attempt to get his coaches to hear him.
“I just need playing time to show what I can do. It means something to me,” he said.
“I already know… Only myself and my father know what I can do. When playing time comes, everyone will see what I can do on the pitch.”
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