Wissa claim Tottenham midfielder sold for £17M is the best i ever played with
The whirlwind of transfer deadline day has settled, and Newcastle United’s new signing, Yoane Wissa, is already beginning to feel at home in the North East.
The striker’s move from Brentford was one of the day’s biggest stories, filling the void left by Alexander Isak’s monumental departure to Liverpool.
As he gets to know his new surroundings and teammates, the club’s fans are also getting to know him a little better through a recent quickfire question and answer session.
During this lighthearted interview, Wissa was asked a question that often reveals a lot about a player’s past and their footballing education: who is the best player you have ever shared a pitch with?
It’s a fascinating query for a player of Wissa’s journey. He has been a teammate of prolific goal-scorers like Ivan Toney and dynamic attackers like Bryan Mbeumo during his successful spell at Brentford, not to mention the many talented players he will now train with at Newcastle.
His answer, however, pointed to a different kind of player entirely. Without hesitation, Wissa named former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Christian Eriksen as the finest talent he has ever played alongside.
This is a significant choice, and it speaks volumes about the qualities Wissa himself likely values most on the pitch. Their time together at Brentford was relatively short, but it was clearly a period that left a lasting impression on the new Newcastle forward.
The context of Eriksen’s arrival at Brentford makes Wissa’s choice even more powerful. Many in the football world feared Eriksen’s career was over after the terrifying cardiac arrest he suffered on the pitch during Euro 2020.
His subsequent release from Inter Milan left his future in serious doubt. His decision to join Brentford was a leap of faith for both the player and the club, a chance to prove he could not only play again but could still perform at the highest level.
What followed was nothing short of remarkable. Eriksen’s return to the Premier League was a story of triumph, heart, and pure class. In just 11 games for the Bees, he was utterly transformative.
The statistics from his brief stint there are impressive—one goal, four assists, and a stunning average of 2.7 key passes per game. But the numbers only tell half the story.
His mere presence on the field elevated the entire team; his vision, his effortless passing range, and his footballing intelligence were a masterclass for his teammates to witness up close.
For a forward like Wissa, playing ahead of a midfielder like Eriksen must have been a dream. Eriksen is the type of player who seems to see passing lanes before they even open, who can deliver the perfect weighted ball into a striker’s path with pinpoint accuracy.
Even in a short period, Wissa would have experienced firsthand the unique quality that made Eriksen a star at Ajax, Tottenham, and Inter Milan.
By naming Eriksen, Wissa isn’t just praising a former teammate; he’s highlighting the importance of creativity, intelligence, and technical genius.
It’s a nod to the artists of the game, the players who control the tempo and dictate play with their mind as much as their feet. For Newcastle fans, this insight is a welcome glimpse into the footballing mind of their new striker.
It suggests a player who appreciates and understands the subtle nuances of the game, and who will likely thrive on the kind of intelligent service that Bruno Guimarães is so capable of providing.
It’s a promising sign that his partnership with the Magpies’ own creative maestro could become something very special.