Nick Pope has revealed he did his homework prior to making the decision to join the Magpies.
He was so keen on Newcastle that, while away with England in June, he attempted to subtly extract intel from Kieran Trippier, the right-back.
In an article in The Athletic he states “I was poking him for information, without trying to give anything away about me maybe joining Newcastle,” Pope says. “The transfer wasn’t widely known about and I didn’t want to let the cat out of the bag, or jinx it. But he must have been sick of me because I kept asking him questions; about the club, the city, the training, the manager, the squad, how he found the move, where he sees Newcastle going as a club. I already wanted to join but he made my decision much easier because he spoke so highly. He sold the move to me, even if he probably didn’t realise that’s what he was doing.”
Will Pope keep the shirt?
Yes- He's not gonna play 2nd fiddle
NO- Dubravka is No1 until Pope earns his place.
“I became aware of Newcastle’s interest once the season finished and I tried not to get too excited because you don’t want to jump the gun. Things can easily go wrong with transfers,” says Pope. “But, at the same time, I couldn’t help but get excited. There were other options, yeah, but this was the step I really wanted to take, in my career and my life.
“I want to be a goalkeeper who is constantly pushing myself every inch to get to the best level. When I retire, I want to look back and think, ‘I got the very most out of myself and improved’. That shaped this move because, a club with this ambition and desire to win trophies, that’s where I knew I needed to be. When this sort of opportunity comes up, you take it with two hands.”
There was only a month between Burnley’s demotion, following defeat at home to Newcastle in May, and Pope’s £11million ($13.5m) transfer. Even though Newcastle moved quickly to see off competition, securing Pope’s signature by June 24, the “uncertainty” festered for the goalkeeper.
Pope is looking likely to become a fans favourite and has now probably cemented his position in the England Squad by accepting the move