Newcastle United midfielder Joe Willock paid tribute to Arsenal star Bukayo Saka after scoring against Manchester United on Sunday afternoon.
The Hale End academy graduate broke the deadlock just after the hour mark of their Premier League encounter before celebrating with the same stance at the corner flag that Saka has made famous recently. After scoring against Aston Villa back in February, the England international posted a picture of his celebration along with another photo of Gunners icon Thierry Henry doing the same celebration for France with the message: "Honouring the King *crown emoji*."
Arsenal loanee Folarin Balogun also emulated Henry's celebration back in January after scoring against Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain. “Spoke to Titi (Henry) before the game! Only right I show my respect", Balogun's social media post at the time read.
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Willock spent the second half of the 2020/21 campaign on loan with Newcastle before swapping north London for Tyneside on a permanent basis a few months later. Speaking to the Athletic about his decision to join the Magpies back in December 2019, Willock said: "In May, I told my father, 'I’ve reached a stage where I want to play'. That was the key for me.
"When the permanent deal became possible, I said, 'We should look into this more because I love the city and the fans'. I sat down with Arsenal, was honest about my situation.
"They were really good with me. We had a conversation about signing another contract but I really wanted to play, I loved Newcastle and this was the best option. This is where I can push on."
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