Chris Wood has admitted to feeling surprised when the call came from Newcastle last month.
In an exclusive interview with The Telegraph, the 30-year-old striker lifted the lid on how his spontaneous move to Tyneside came about.
Last month The Magpies triggered a £25million release clause in the New Zealand international’s contract, bolstering their frontline but also weakening Burnley - a key relegation rival - in the process.
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Wood - who is yet to score for Eddie Howe’s side - has said he did not expect to be plying his trade on Tyneside following the £300million Saudi-backed takeover.
“When the takeover happened, I could not have envisaged I would be one of the first signings,” he said.
“I’d read the rumours about Mbappe and Haaland and all that sort of stuff.
“It made you smile, I suppose, on the outside looking in. Newcastle were not in my thoughts at all. The interest came as a surprise and it all happened quickly.
“In the space of 48 hours. Callum (Wilson) got the injury, Newcastle needed another striker with some presence to lead the line and it was done two days later.
“I’m obviously not in the same bracket as either of those two, I accept that 100 per cent, I am different, but I was brought in to do a specific job and because I knew the Premier League. I was brought in to fight."
Howe has made a huge impact at St James’ Park, with supporters crediting the boss for how much fitter the players look since his arrival.
Ryan Fraser singled out the manager for praise following last week’s 3-1 win against Everton - while avoiding temptation to criticise the previous regime.
Now Wood has spoken about how meticulous Howe has been on the training pitch ahead of this weekend’s trip to West Ham.
“The manager is great, he really is,” he added.
“The attention to detail is huge. Every week, we are making little pieces of the puzzle to make us better against different opponents. He’s so intricate with the way he thinks and how he prepares us.”
St James’ Park was in full voice for the two recent home wins against Everton and Aston Villa.
The noise created from the terraces saw supporters rewarded with back-to-back home wins as the Magpies moved four points clear of the relegation zone.
Wood hailed the ‘fantastic’ atmosphere inside the ground and believes fans contributed massively to those two victories.
“The atmosphere at SJP is fantastic, it really is,” he said.
“On my debut against Watford, it was good, very good, but when we played against Everton it felt like a European game.
“The noise, the passion, the atmosphere, it was huge.
“I actually stood there for a few seconds just enjoying it. It’s something you’ve heard about, how passionate the fanbase is, but to actually experience it is incredible for a footballer.
“That was why we beat Everton and Aston Villa. They got us over the line. The noise was unrelenting.
“This is a snowball gathering momentum. Seeing where it can lead to is going to be amazing, it’s only going to get better on and off the pitch.”
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