Newcastle United midfielder Sean Steur (Image: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire)
Newcastle United midfielder Sean Steur (Image: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire)
SEAN STEUR has admitted he will have to build up his physical strength in order to flourish in the Premier League, even if the Newcastle United midfielder accepts he will “never be a bodybuilder”.
Steur joined Newcastle in a £20m move from Ajax in the summer, and has made an immediate impact following his switch to Tyneside.
The 18-year-old has featured in all of the Magpies’ league games so far this season, starting the matches against Liverpool and Hull City and impressing with his poise, assurance and obvious technical ability.
However, he was knocked off his stride in the defeat at Leeds United when most of Newcastle’s players were overpowered by their physically-imposing opponents, and while he accepts he will never be as strong as some of the players he is lining up against, Steur’s first two months in England have convinced him of the need to bulk up.
“I want to keep developing as much as possible,” said Steur, who is yet to complete a full 90 minutes in a Newcastle shirt, in an interview with Dutch media outlet De Telegraaf. “Football has become different, especially more physical.
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“I’ll never become a bodybuilder, but I will have to develop physically. Still, I have to rely mainly on my footballing ability - that’s what I’m trying to do in my own way.”
As well as noting the physicality of the opposition in the Premier League, Steur has also seen a marked shift in the pace of play since swapping the Dutch Eredivisie for the English top-flight.
“It [the Premier League] is also incredibly fast,” he added. “But the Premier League is the best league in the world. You have to go full throttle in every match, there is no easy game. That only makes you better.”
While Ajax might be one of the biggest clubs in the Netherlands, Steur, who is currently on international duty with the Dutch Under-21s, has been impressed by the atmospheres he has encountered in England.
“At home at St James’ Park, with our supporters, it is absolutely fantastic,” he said. “But the away matches are also a joy. I don't think that will ever get boring.”