Every word Eddie Howe had to say ahead of Callum Wilson reunion in West Ham vs Newcastle
Callum Wilson and Eddie Howe will come up against each other when West Ham host Newcastle on Sunday.
Wilson joined West Ham on a free transfer after leaving the Magpies this summer, and he will be hoping to make an impact against his former club at the London Stadium on 2 November.
Nuno Espirito Santo needs the veteran striker to step up, as his side have to go on a positive run to pull away from the relegation battle.
West Ham are genuine contenders for the drop at the moment, and if Wilson can start scoring, it would be a huge boost.
Eddie Howe shares Callum Wilson message ahead of West Ham vs Newcastle
Nuno does not seem to favour Wilson to lead his West Ham side, but Howe was a huge fan of him is his time on Tyneside.
The former Bournemouth boss shared his feelings on the reunion, claiming that while it would be nice to see his former player, his side have a job to do, and that is the most important thing.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference on 31 October, he said: “It will be great to see Callum but, most importantly, we have a job to do against him.
“I have spoken about how much quality he has, and I am looking forward to seeing him and embracing him after the game, but we have a job to do first to stop him.”
Wilson has to break dismal record vs Newcastle
Wilson has a grim record when facing the North East outfit, with no goals in five matches against them before he joined them in 2020.
He featured for a total of 418 minutes but failed to find the back of the net before moving to St James’ Park.
- Wilson played 130 times for Newcastle across five years
- He scored 49 and assisted 11 goals in that time
- It will be the first time that he has played against his former club since leaving
That will not exactly inspire confidence for the Hammers, as they head into a crucial contest in their fight for survival.
Wilson has not proven that the gamble was worth it for the Irons so far, with just one goal in six top-flight appearances for his new club.
It would be the perfect time for him to bag his second and make an impact against his ex-employers, but whether he can do that remains to be seen.
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