Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Chronicle Live
Chronicle Live
Sport
Ciaran Kelly

'I want to be a champion' - Bruno Guimaraes' speech Newcastle fans will love silences Merson

Only one voice can be heard inside the away dressing room at the Beira-Rio Stadium. Bruno Guimaraes may have been one of the youngest players at Athletico Paranaense at the time, but it was the midfielder who stood up and addressed his more experienced team-mates at half-time of the Brazilian Cup final.

"If anyone is afraid to play, give me the ball because I want to play," Guimaraes roared after his side's poor first-half display against Internacional in 2019. "I want to be a champion."

Athletico, tellingly, went on to win the competition for the first time following a 2-1 victory on the night and a 3-1 win on aggregate.

Go here for all the latest Newcastle United news

Tiago Nunes, who was the club's manager at the time, believed Guimaraes 'charged' those around him with his speech at the break.

"What made Bruno different was his winning mentality," Nunes told ChronicleLive.

"He was never the strongest or most technical player, but he is a competitor who inspires everyone around him to improve."

The anecdote gives you just a little insight into the character who will relish the cut and thrust of life in the Premier League despite what Paul Merson might say.

While Merson felt that Kieran Trippier, Chris Wood, Dan Burn and Matt Targett would 'run through a brick wall' for Newcastle United, the pundit admitted he did have a 'worry' about an overseas signing like Guimaraes 'coming into a battle'.

Well, the fact Guimaraes was prepared to leave the relative comfort of Lyon for an immediate relegation fight with Newcastle tells its own story - regardless of the life-changing contract on the table.

Indeed, Zenit star Claudinho, who, like Guimaraes, won Olympic gold with Brazil last summer, told ChronicleLive that the new arrival is a 'battler' who has always had the 'will to grow more and more'.

Guimaraes has long dreamed of playing in the Premier League - he even started learning English when he was at Athletico - and the 24-year-old desperately wanted to be part of Newcastle's new era.

Interestingly, of all the contracts Newcastle handed out last month, Guimaraes was the only player given a four-and-a-half year deal. This is not just a signing to get the Magpies out of trouble or, all going well, lead a push for the top 10 in the next couple of years; the club's owners hope that Guimaraes can also realise his long-term ambitions at St James' Park when it comes to one day competing for trophies and playing in Europe.

So what can Newcastle fans expect from a signing that may end up breaking the club's £40m transfer record if various add-ons are met?

Well, Guimaraes is a complete midfielder who could: give Newcastle more control in the middle of the park; take the Magpies up the field; cut defences open with his through balls; and add so much with his ability to press effectively out of possession.

The stats tell their own story. Guimaraes led the way in Ligue 1 this season for final third completed passes (342) and passes completed in the opposition half (663) - despite the former Lyon man being the second most fouled player in the division.

Defensively, too, Guimaraes won possession in the middle third 71 times earlier this season and won 158 duels as a whole, which were among some of the best numbers in France.

Ligue 1, of course, is different to the Premier League and Guimaraes will, naturally, need time to adjust to the pace and physicality of the English top-flight, but the 24-year-old will always demand the ball as former Athletico team-mate Raphael Veiga was keen to point out.

"What made Bruno everything he is today, and what I always admired about him when we played together, was his ability to show himself - regardless of the game, the situation or the scenario," Veiga told ChronicleLive.

"It didn't matter if the game was easy or difficult; Bruno turned up and held the ball and was always a player with a lot of personality.

"For me, this was one of the main factors that made him evolve and become the player that he is today"

Newcastle desperately needed a centre-back, first and foremost, but it is easy to see why Guimaraes was also a top January target as a defensive midfielder who could help ease the pressure on the Magpies' backline with his ability to hold on to the ball.

While Newcastle do often carry a threat on transitions, Guimaraes is a player who will also help the black-and-whites retain possession and impose themselves on other teams, which is Eddie Howe's ultimate goal.

Bournemouth averaged 49.28% possession during Howe's previous five campaigns in the Premier League, but Newcastle have had just 39.2% of the ball, on average, since the head coach came in and have also struggled to break teams down when the opposition have sat back.

Guimaraes, alone, will not solve these issues overnight but the new arrival will bring a calmness to that midfield - even if he won't have quite as much time on the ball as he has previously been used to.

Although it may take a little time for Guimaraes to truly settle, in that regard, Newcastle's recruitment team have noted how the Brazil international made an instant impact when he swapped Athletico for Lyon in 2020.

Guimaraes' composure on the ball will be tested in the Premier League, but the 24-year-old will certainly not be afraid to take players on.

That trait has stuck with all of those who have played with Guimaraes and former Athletico team-mate Marcelo Cirino still has a 'great affection' for a 'sensational person' who clearly loves the game.

"Bruno is a very funny kid - he wants to play all the time," Cirino told ChronicleLive.

"Even when the match is getting tough, he wants to nutmeg opposition players. We always asked him to play more seriously so he didn't get hurt in rough tackles, but he would just smile.

"Because he was an amazing kid, with a great personality, we loved to watch how much fun he was having on the pitch."

We want to hear your thoughts, so LOG IN and leave your comment below

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.