Sven Botman committed his future to Newcastle United earlier this month.placeholder image
Sven Botman committed his future to Newcastle United earlier this month. | Getty Images, Newcastle United, Liverpool FC
Sven Botman penned a new contract extension at Newcastle United earlier this month.
Sven Botman has highlighted Newcastle United’s potential as a reason for committing to another four years at St James’ Park.
Signed in 2022, the Dutchman was one of the first blue-chip arrivals under Saudi ownership. Botman quickly became viewed as the future of Newcastle’s backline, playing a key role in the side that finished fourth and conceded just 33 Premier League goals during his debut campaign.
However, injury woes have hampered Botman’s progress on Tyneside since. Six setbacks since the start of the 2023-24 season - four relating to his knee - raised questions about the centre-back’s future.
Fabian Schar, Dan Burn and Malick Thiaw were all proving to be more reliable options until recently, with Botman now re-establishing himself at the heart of defence. A fortnight ago, the former AC Milan target penned a new four-year deal to subdue rumoured Liverpool interest.
‘Club has huge potential’ - Sven Botman
Speaking ahead of the Champions League clash with PSV Eindhoven, Botman insisted Newcastle’s potential as a club is what made him pledge his peak years to the Saudi-backed project. He said: "I feel like I have a lot to give and I also think this club has huge potential. I love to be part of it and to achieve great success with the club.
“I think (from) the moment I stepped through these doors, three and a half years ago, and what we've achieved in the last couple of years, this club is growing every year. We've achieved great things already but we definitely want to have more. A trophy was really nice last season.
“We want to have more trophies and set a goal for ourselves to be in the Champions League every season. The team is getting better, the club is getting bigger and the standards are getting higher."
Read More
Sven Botman on injury struggles
Botman is also hopeful that his injury woes are behind him following a frustrating couple of years. The defender added: "I think we had a great first season as a defence. That's something that I admire all the time when I'm defending, keeping clean sheets and it's something I want to achieve more.
"With injuries, it was a difficult time. Even when I came back from my ACL, I played a few games and then had another injury. I feel like I'm getting back to full fitness and great form and, most importantly, be fit and playing games. The time you're out injured, everything you think about is coming back and playing on the pitch again in front of these fans in this stadium.
"It always gives you a great feeling, an amazing feeling, that you're playing at such a high stage. It's never nice to be injured but that's in the past now and I'm moving forward to what's coming."
Continue Reading