This ex-Arsenal midfielder will face his former club when Newcastle travel to north London
Joe Willock of Arsenal celebrates after scoring their 2nd goal during the UEFA Europa League Group B stage match between Arsenal FC and Dundalk FC at Emirates Stadium on October 29, 2020 in London, United Kingdom.
Joe Willock will face his former club on Saturday night(Image: Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
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Joe Willock "gave his life" to Arsenal but left for Newcastle after not feeling valued in north London. The midfielder will face his boyhood club on Saturday night when the Magpies visit the Gunners in a tough domestic clash.
Arsenal are fighting for their first Premier League title since 2003, while Newcastle are desperate to claw back some points to make it into the top half of the table. Willock has made 35 appearances in black and white this season, scoring once and assisting twice in over 1,300 minutes of action.
The midfielder left north London in 2021, signing a six-year contract with Newcastle for a fee of £25million. Willock had spent his entire career to that point with Arsenal, making 78 appearances and scoring 11 times.
However, the 26-year-old decided to leave his comfort zone of the Emirates Stadium after realising that he wasn't going to be a main feature in Mikel Arteta's squad. Speaking to The Telegraph in 2023, Willock admitted he felt different returning to Arsenal after being on loan to the Magpies.
He said: "I remember that summer going back to Arsenal and I didn’t know what to do. I’d enjoyed the loan but to make it permanent was a big call. I wasn’t sure I wanted to leave Arsenal.
"I probably thought I was going to go back and things would be the same. I’d be working to break into the first team again and everything would be familiar and comfortable."
Joe Willock of Arsenal celebrates after he scores his team's fourth goal during the UEFA Europa League Group B stage match between Arsenal FC and Molde FK at Emirates Stadium on November 05, 2020 in London, England.
Joe Willock had spent his entire career in north London at that point(Image: Julian Finney/Getty Images)
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However, Willock felt the love from the Newcastle fans and the apparent indifference from Arsenal, which helped inform his decision. He added: "When the talk of a permanent move started I wasn’t sure, you know.
"The fans probably made that decision easier but also Steve Bruce. He really fought to bring me here, he was great for me. We had loads of conversations on the phone that summer. I wasn’t valued at Arsenal, that became clear. When I had a meeting with them, it was obvious they wanted me to go.
"Yeah, it hurt. I would probably have drifted for another year had I stayed. I’d been there since I was four-and-a-half years old. I’d given my life to Arsenal. At that meeting it just felt like my time was up. I didn’t feel valued anymore and that was it, I was going to sign for Newcastle after that."
Describing his strong emotions, Willock said: "At the time, it was overwhelming. Leaving London, leaving Arsenal and coming into the unknown really, it was hard but it was the right time.
Joe Willock of Newcastle United celebrates scoring the opening goal with Sandro Tonali during the Carabao Cup Second Round match between Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United at City Ground on August 28, 2024 in Nottingham, England.
Willock found a new home in the north east(Image: Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
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"I’d never been this far north before, I’d never visited Newcastle. I was also joining a team that was fighting relegation. It was all new to me. It was a tough experience, because I’d been so sheltered at Arsenal. But it was also an amazing one."
Highlighting the joy found in the north east, he added: "To experience a totally different dressing room environment, under a different manager, playing with real pressure on your shoulders because we were in that relegation battle, it was the making of me. I had been so protected at Arsenal.
"I was a young kid coming through the age groups, then a young player trying to break into the first team. Even when I played in the first team it was like, ‘oh he’s just a young kid.’ There was nothing like the same pressure there.
"I wouldn’t say it was easy, but it wasn’t as competitive as playing for Newcastle. I came here and I was expected to be one of the main players to get us out of trouble."
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