Callum Wilson’s time with Newcastle United came to an end in 2025 but what inspired him to join the club in the first place ahead of their reunion on Sunday?
Newcastle United swooped in to sign Callum Wilson from Bournemouth in 2020, after the striker had proved he was a capable scorer in the Premier League.
It wasn’t enough to stop Bournemouth from being relegated under a certain Eddie Howe in 2020, but their slip into the Championship opened the door for Newcastle to sign him amid much fanfare for £20m.
Signed by Steve Bruce, Wilson scored an impressive 12 goals in his first season for the Magpies to help them keep their Premier League status.
After five years and 49 goals in 130 games, Wilson left Newcastle in the summer upon the expiration of his contract.
The striker joined West Ham United on a free transfer, where things are not going well. Wilson has one goal in seven appearances and has hardly featured since Nuno Espirito Santo took charge.
Newcastle take on West Ham as they sit second bottom in the Premier League table on Sunday, which will see Wilson come up against his former club for the first time.
Ahead of that reunion, here’s what inspired Wilson to make the move to the North East.
Callum Wilson was attracted to Newcastle United because of the passionate fans
Newcastle players sent emotional farewells to Wilson after he announced his departure. The 33-year-old was a big part of the team, acting as a role model for the younger strikers.
Though his time on Tyneside was hampered by injury at times, fans recognise him as one of the finest strikers to have the famous No.9 on the back of his shirt.
Having spent years at Bournemouth, Wilson revealed in a 2022 interview that it was his prior experience at other clubs that helped him realise Newcastle was the right move for him.
“I went to Bournemouth years down the line, and it’s not a massive stadium there, so I did enjoy playing away as well,” he told newcastleunited.com.
“The more I was playing at the bigger stadiums, freely, the more I enjoyed it, the more I enjoyed scoring, celebrating, opposition fans being on your back – everything that comes with being a striker.
“I always wanted to join a club where my home games would have an unreal atmosphere, and it was part of the reason I came here when I had the opportunity. I’ve been here as an opposition player, I’ve seen it, I’ve heard the roar.
“I thought, ‘I would want that for myself scoring a goal’.
“It’s unreal. That’s the feeling you crave.”
Callum Wilson shared his admiration for Kevin Keegan
Wilson was visibly emotional at St James’ Park on the final day of the Premier League season. Perhaps then he knew that his Newcastle career was just about over.
The 33-year-old has enjoyed a positive start to life at West Ham, scoring his first goal in a 3-0 win against Nottingham Forest before the international break.
Coincidentally, Wilson was born in the same year that Newcastle legend Kevin Keegan returned to Tyneside, becoming the manager while they were in the first division (now the Championship). Wilson got to learn about the influence Keegan had on Newcastle, and how much he meant to the fans.
“It was eye-opening,” he added in the same interview. “You might understand the history of the club, but you might not understand the extent of some things, or how things played out with Keegan.
“I was unaware that the year he signed he’d been England captain, and he dropped down to what is now the Championship to come here, so that was new to me.
“You know your club a bit more. It was like a life lesson, really, but a nice one. You’re pulling on that shirt and you want to know what it represents. I feel like now, every player in the squad does know.”
“The roar of the stadium here… it’s unreal. That’s the feeling you crave.”
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