Eddie Howe isn’t having any of it; he’s shot down the rumours that Nick Woltemade wants out of Newcastle United.

You might’ve seen it: some German journalist, Raimund Hinko, tossed out the idea in BILD that Woltemade’s unhappy on Tyneside and would rather be back at Stuttgart or maybe Bayern Munich. Then the BBC’s gossip column picked it up, slapped on a catchy line, and suddenly everyone’s talking about it. The story even landed back with Howe, who, let’s be honest, has probably heard enough transfer gossip to last him a lifetime.

Sure, Woltemade’s had his ups and downs this season. That happens. But he’s already hit double digits in his first year, and lately, he’s looked right at home in a new, deeper role. So when talk started swirling about him being miserable at Newcastle, Howe didn’t hesitate to set the record straight.

“He seems really, really happy,” Howe said. “What you see is what you get with Nick, always laughing, a great presence in the dressing room. He and Malik Thiaw have gotten pretty close, which is good to see. And honestly, everyone likes him. The squad really respects him and loves his attitude, and he’s always about the team.

“He’s just a good guy. Doesn’t take himself too seriously; he fits right in. So, when I hear these reports that he’s unhappy, it just doesn’t match the player I know.

“And on the pitch, he’s looked great lately. I’m really happy with what he’s doing. He’s performing at a high level, no issues at all.”

And it’s not just Howe saying so. Woltemade himself spoke to GQ and made it clear he feels like he belongs at Newcastle. After that brutal own goal against Sunderland in December, he braced himself for the worst. But instead of criticism, he found nothing but support from the fans.

“It was an awful feeling,” Woltemade admitted. “I’d never scored an own goal before, especially not in that match. Sitting on the bench after getting subbed, I thought the fans would destroy me. But when I checked my phone, it was just positive messages.

“That helped me a lot. I know how much that game meant to everyone. I was so grateful. It showed me I’m in the right place.”

And he bounced back fast. The next week, he scored twice in a 2-2 draw with Chelsea, and St James’ Park was singing his name.

“The whole crowd was singing for me – unbelievable. That own goal could’ve wrecked my season, but instead, the fans lifted me. It turned out to be the best feeling.”

Anthony Gordon ran riot in Baku, firing four goals as Newcastle United steamrolled Qarabag and all but sealed their Champions League last-16 play-off.

Eddie Howe had talked about turning nights like this into club history, and his team really delivered. This was Newcastle’s biggest-ever European win, and they did it on Qarabag’s turf at the Tofig Bahramov Stadium.

Now, Qarabag aren’t pushovers. They’ve drawn with Chelsea, beaten Benfica and Eintracht Frankfurt, and even seen off Copenhagen. But they looked completely outmatched from the start. Newcastle just tore into them. Gordon, especially, was unstoppable. He didn’t just give Qarabag headaches; he became Newcastle’s all-time top scorer in the Champions League, overtaking Alan Shearer in the process.

It took him two minutes. Dan Burn charged forward from the back, slipped Gordon through, and Gordon finished coolly into the bottom corner. Newcastle smelled blood. Kieran Trippier swung in a dangerous cross, and Malick Thiaw rose highest to nod in the second. Qarabag’s manager, Gurban Gurbanov, tried to regroup his shell-shocked players, but Newcastle just kept coming.

A few minutes later, Harvey Barnes fired at goal, and Matheus Silva blocked it with his arm. VAR told the referee to check the replay, and Newcastle got a penalty. Gordon stepped up. Kochalski, the Qarabag keeper, guessed right and got a hand to it, but Gordon’s shot was too strong.

And Gordon wasn’t done. Right after the restart, Qarabag defender Kevin Medina made a mess of it, Gordon pounced, rounded Kochalski, and tucked in his third. Then, just before halftime, Kochalski brought Gordon down in the box. Another penalty. Gordon took it himself; no chance for Kochalski this time either. Four goals, and it wasn’t even the break yet.

Qarabag did manage to pull one back after halftime. Elvin Cafarquliyev squeezed one in from a tight angle, but any hope didn’t last. Jacob Murphy came off the bench and scored a deflected long-range goal to restore Newcastle’s five-goal cushion.

Gordon had said a few weeks ago that Champions League teams “are much more open; they all try and play.” He couldn’t have been more right. This was new territory for both clubs, their first-ever knockout tie in the Champions League, but Newcastle looked like they belonged. The gap in quality was massive.

Howe picked a strong lineup. He respected Qarabag, but he also knew they’d leave space, and Gordon made the most of it. Even after his hat trick, he insisted on taking the second penalty instead of handing it over to Nick Woltemade. Trippier, the stand-in captain, didn’t look too happy about that when they left the pitch, but Gordon’s hunger is part of what makes him so dangerous.

Honestly, Newcastle could’ve scored even more. Kochalski actually made some great saves, but Newcastle had 22 shots, 14 on target, and 39 touches in Qarabag’s box. In the end, they “settled” for six goals.

With the tie pretty much wrapped up, Howe can rest players for the return leg at St. James’ Park. But you just know Gordon will be itching to add to his ten Champions League goals this season.