Some footballers are all about rituals and traditions. Newcastle United’s Nick Woltemade may have one of the sweetest, though.
[That’s if SportBILD’s information](https://sportbild.bild.de/) is anything to go by. They cover a charming pre-match routine from the striker today.
The newspaper has a big piece on Woltemade’s situation at Newcastle after arriving from Stuttgart in a big move in the summer.
They explain that he’s settled into life in the North East well, largely thanks to help from his friends and family. For instance, when he first arrived, he was accompanied by a group of friends. They lived with him, helped him shop and even drove him to training.
After the win over Benfica, his parents, father Tim and mother Corinna, stayed for a few days. The Newcastle striker is very much a family fan. And that’s where his pre-match ritual comes into it.
His shin pads are adorned with pictures of his grandmother, grandfather, parents and sister, Madita. Before every match, he kisses these photos. For the striker, it’s a sign of humility and gratitude towards his family, who attend games in person as often as possible.
He, clearly, wants to honour the support network he has and uses his time pre-game to do so. It’s a sweet, almost touching gesture that, if his flying start is anything to go by, seems to be a lucky one too.