Callum Wilson has set the bar high when it comes to his goalscoring aims with Newcastle United - insisting that only Alan Shearer could have more strikes to his name than him by the time he's done at St James' Park.
The number 9 grabbed two more goals in the 3-1 win at Southampton to take his tally for the 2022/23 season to 15 strikes. The former Coventry City and AFC Bournemouth climbed above both Ayoze Perez and Rob Lee to claim eighth place in the club's all-time Premier League scorers table.
With 35 Premier League goals to his name in total for Newcastle since signing from AFC Bournemouth in 2020, Wilson lies just 11 goals behind Peter Beardsley in second spot. He could rise above Nobby Solano and Papiss Cisse (both on 37) before the season is out.
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When asked if he was looking to get past names such as Andy Cole and Les Ferdinand, Wilson told Chronicle Live: "100%. I have got my eye on becoming second because Alan (Shearer) has a great record here.
"It is going to be hard to beat given how long I have been here at the club and things like that. If I could finish second in the history books that would be an unreal achievement."
Shearer leads the way with 148 in the Premier League for United, with Beardsley next on 46, Andy Cole and Shola Ameobi are on 43 while Les Ferdinand has 41. Wilson said: "There are some fantastic players who have gone before me and also worn the number 9 shirt as well. That is one of my goals and ambitions - to leave the 9 shirt in a better place than I found it when I joined the club."
The season has been a strange affair for Wilson in some ways, he enjoyed a rewarding autumn that got him to the World Cup finals in Qatar with England. But then endured a mid-season drought before rediscovering his best form in April with eight goals.
Even Shearer never managed to get eight goals in a calendar month in the Prem for Newcastle. But for Wilson, at 31, a season that has saw him proudly wear the Three Lions badge at the World Cup and may end with him as a Champions League player is a culmination of hard work throughout his career. Wilson has bounced back from injuries and adversity and rose from playing non-league with Tamworth and Kettering to stand on the shoulders of Newcastle giants.
When asked if this was the pay back for working so hard Wilson said: "Any player wants to be at the top end of the Premier League. "You want to be challenging for Europe and playing for your national team in World Cups, it's fantastic to get that opportunity.
"I know when I joined this club I mentioned and touched on how it was a massive club and needs to get where it belongs. European football would always have been fantastic. A couple of seasons in and we're almost there. "So it is special times here.
"These are new times as well for myself and a lot of players at the club. So I think going forward it is hopefully part of our DNA and we can start getting into Europe more often."
Wilson deserves even more credit for stepping up to the challenge of stiff competition in the shape of Alexander Isak. Many players would have sulked when the £63million star turned up on Tyneside, but not the current bearer of the number 9 shirt.
Wilson added: "Any player would say the same thing. Walking out and starting games is special. There are goals to be had early in the game. "You open teams up and more goals happen.
"I understand there is competition but as long as it is fair and you get an opportunity when you are delivering, that's all you can ask for as a player. "Keep taking the chances that come your way."
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