Nick Woltemade scores on Newcastle debut as Howe praises new signing but urges physical progress

Nick Woltemade headed the only goal of the game as Newcastle secured their first Premier League win of the season, and manager Eddie Howe said there was "a lot of love" for the club-record £69 million signing after an impressive debut.

The Germany forward converted a 30th-minute header and was substituted shortly after the hour with a standing ovation from the St James' Park crowd. The victory ended a run of three league games without a win for Newcastle and arrived in the wake of Alexander Isak's deadline-day exit to Liverpool.

Howe praised Woltemade's technical qualities and intelligence but said the forward must adapt physically to the demands of the Premier League. "You saw his technical qualities and his intelligence," Howe said. "But most importantly for a striker, when the ball comes into the box, you need to be there - and he was. It was a great finish. I'm really pleased for him personally because that just settles him down and relaxes him. He's a very humble guy, he wants to do well and he's delighted to be here. I think it's a great start."

Howe also noted the unity in the dressing room after the match. "There was a lot of love for Nick (after the game) and a lot of pats on the back. The group are really good at doing that, when someone does well," he said. He added that while Woltemade's creativity and unusual profile stood out, "we've got work to do with him. Definitely, physically, he's got a lot to do to get used to this level."

Woltemade, 23, said he felt welcome from the start and described the atmosphere at St James' Park as "amazing." "When the talks started, I felt really welcome straight away and had nice conversations with the coach. I am just really happy to be here," he said. He explained his substitution was due to cramp and said the team had worked to involve him. "The team played really good balls, they involved me a lot. I think we did quite good. It was a hard game because we didn't win a game in the league before and it was really important that we won, especially at home."

Newcastle completed the signing in a matter of days after initial contact, with Howe saying he first noticed Woltemade while watching the Bundesliga last season and later at the Under-21 tournament, where he was "outstanding." Woltemade had been linked with Bayern Munich over the summer.

The match provided an immediate response to a turbulent transfer window for Newcastle. Alexander Isak, who had declined to play in the club's opening three league matches, completed a deadline-day move to Liverpool for a British-record fee reported at £125 million. Isak's departure left a gap in Newcastle's frontline that Woltemade's debut appearance will help to fill if he continues to adapt.

Howe's assessment combined praise with caution: the manager welcomed the morale boost the result and Woltemade's goal provided while underlining that adaptation to the physical demands of English football remains essential. The victory offered Newcastle a platform to build on after a difficult start to the campaign.