Allan Saint-Maximin's sweatshirt amusingly reads "No comment" as he sits down to talk about his story so far at Newcastle United.
It proves to be a contradiction in terms as Saint-Maximin opens up about his highs and lows at St James' Park.
Saint-Maximin candidly stated last summer that the club should be aiming for the top 10 and fighting for one of the domestic cups.
As we settle down for a chat via Zoom direct from Jeddah to the Geordie Riviera, Saint-Maximin - who has now twice been voted the Chronicle' Fans' Footballer of the Year in 2020 and 2021 - is not instantly drawn back to talk of his ambition.
In an exclusive interview with the Chronicle the French ace insisted:
- His love affair with Toon supporters has kept him on board
- Focus on the survival battle ahead is the only thing on his agenda
- Why he now feels he's at a club that are building the "best team they can"
- Why things have gone wrong this season and how they can be fixed
- His personal motivation to help feed thousands in the city via donations to the West End Foodbank
Saint-Maximin's onfield contributions of five goals and three assists have given the club a fighting chance of Premier League survival.
In another season, their paltry 15-point tally would probably have the Magpies cut adrift, instead they live to fight another day.
The much-maligned Magpies went out of both cups at the first hurdle and sit uncomfortably in the relegation zone with 17 games to go.
Unfortunately, there'll be no silverware this year and the top 10 isn't on the agenda.
Saint-Maximin could arguably have quit United last summer after two seasons of fighting relegation but admits he is now emotionally connected to the city and told the Chronicle: "I have a really good relationship with the fans - if I didn't have this relationship with the Newcastle supporters I'd not be here now.
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"So the supporters are really important to me, I love them, I love the club.
"The supporters help me play better. I will never forget that.
"That's why I want to do my best to save the team this season.
"After that, we will see what happens and if we are safe.
"Safety is the most important thing for me at this time."
Saint-Maximin's dreams of turning Newcastle into a top 10 club or winning a trophy are no different to any United fan.
After 14 years of Mike Ashley, any talk of ambition was played down by club insiders.
Maps to Europe were shelved and contingency plans for relegation to the Championship were rife.
But after Newcastle's Middle East takeover last summer, when Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Club took an 80% stake in the club, things changed overnight down the corridors of power at St James' Park.
New Toon supremo Yasir Al-Rumayyan changed everything with just four words when he said: "You can expect ambition."
Between training sessions in Saudi Arabia this week, there have been summit meetings on how Newcastle can finish the January window in style.
So can the ambition Saint-Maximin spoke of in 2021 be brought to him rather than the traditional route of the club's best players being sold to football's big guns?
He said: "I am sure the club want to do the best, they want to have the best team we can possibly have.
"That's what the supporters want too. It's important to all of the players too.
"You know when you play against really good players, you enjoy that more.
"You can see when we play against Arsenal, Manchester or Chelsea, the feeling is: 'This is the best league in the world'.
"It's a really big feeling. To play against these teams and win, you need really good players with you.
"So we'll see what happens. I am really focused on the way I play at this time and trying to help the team."
For the current crop of stars though Saint-Maximin isn't afraid to say this season hasn't been good enough.
But he knows the majority of the players that started the season will finish it, he reflected: "We have to think about the players we have.
"We know what is happening in every game. We know we have to be more solid in defence, and we know we have to be more clinical at the other end.
"Even if we haven't done this on many occasions.
"We need to score goals and I know that has been a problem.
"When we have scored goals we have let the opponent score straight after and when we have been ahead we have ended up drawing the game - even when we've been better than the team we've played against.
"We really need to improve that and we have worked with the coach to do this.
"This is fixed with hard work.
"It is really painful to lose like this. At the training ground, we have felt pain.
"But we really need to have the mentality of a winning team, every match should be treated like a cup final.
"This mentality is what we will need and it is only that mentality that will help us at the minute."
The hard work is taking place in Jeddah this week as Newcastle players enjoy warmer temperatures than the fans back home.
Saint-Maximin insisted it was no jolly though and said: "If you see what we do in training you'll see it's not really a break!
"But it's really good to train here.
"It's very hot but a great time to train on the pitch, we're doing it together and it will help the team achieve what we want at the end of the season."
The team's aim will now boil down to whether Newcastle survive or not in the top-flight.
At the end of Saturday's win over Leeds, Saint-Maximin postured to the skies and thanked God immediately after the final whistle after Newcastle's first away win of the season.
Saint-Maximin said: "You take everything you can get.
"It's a really difficult time for Newcastle and all the players.
"But if we go out (of the Premier League) when we think back to the season it'll have been poor what we've done.
"So we just have to win the most games we can and win every game possible.
"We need to work hard in training but I hope everything can be alright."
The French star has shown his kind side throughout his stay on Tyneside so far.
He handed out a £2,000 watch to one of his fans last year and has been a frequent contributor to the city's West End Foodbank, only this month he donated a "four figure" sum to feed 2,000 people no less.
Saint-Maximin spoke about his passion for helping those less fortunate than himself.
He said: "It's really important to not forget where you are from.
"I didn't have this type of money earlier in my life.
"I know how life is. Difficult. I still have friends now who don't have big money.
"For me, money is just paper. What is important is to be kind and try to help as many people as I can.
"I wasn't lucky enough when I was young to have some people think of me like this, just family.
"If you can have some people there just to give you a hand, it's good. In this life it helps.
"You can't do it alone sometimes. If somebody helps or makes something special for you it's really good.
"It's what I want and what I try to do for the people. I do what I can do."
Saint-Maximin's contributions on the field have effectively kept Newcastle with one hand on the edge of a cliff this season.
What he conjures up in the last 17 matches, could be the difference between climbing back to safety or falling into the abyss.
The interview is signed off with an acknowledgement to his two Chronicle player of the year awards from 2020 and 2021.
He humbly accepts them but knows what the real prize is in 2022.
Saint-Maximin said: "I am really proud to be named the Chronicle fans player of the year.
"I'd prefer it if we weren't in this position and Newcastle weren't in the bottom three.
"The most important thing for me is the position.
"I don't think of myself, because the team are more important than me.
"If we work hard every day we can survive.
"When this happens you can only be happy but I really want to stay happy and the only way to do that is to stay in the Premier League."
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