With their first domestic trophy lifted for 70 years and a push for a Champions League place, the 2024/25 season is shaping up to be one of the most memorable campaigns in generations for Newcastle United fans.
An estimated 300,000 supporters took to the streets for the team’s trophy parade back in March to celebrate their heroes, when some of the loudest cheers will no doubt have been reserved for two boys from Brazil.
Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton have continued to go from strength to strength in the Magpies' midfield, with the former recognising the bond that the duo have built with the club’s supporters.
Bruno on his rapport with Newcastle United fans
“The fans love Joelinton and me because we work so hard and give absolutely everything on the pitch,” Guimaraes exclusively tells FourFourTwo. “We play with the Geordie pride, as if we were born here.
“Actually, our kids were born here, so we have a strong connection with the city, and I think the fans appreciate the ties we’ve developed with the place. Both of us are very grateful for the way we were welcomed in the city. When we’re on the pitch, the supporters see themselves in us.
“Joelinton and I are from Brazil – we could play as if this was just another club in our careers and not give a s**t about what it means to the fans, but that’s the total opposite of what we do on the pitch. We behave like fans, with true feelings for the badge, and that makes them love us. We love them, too! [Laughs]”
Eyebrows were raised when Guimaraes - who was ranked at no.12 in FourFourTwo’s best Premier League players of the season last week - joined the Mapgies from Lyon in January 2022, as he swapped a team playing European football for a side battling relegation in the Premier League.
“I couldn’t care less what other people make of my decisions,” he says of the questions raised when he made his £40million move.
“I made that decision with my family because I knew Newcastle’s potential. I was completely convinced that this was the best choice for my career.
“The club went above and beyond to sign me, and when a club like Newcastle come calling, you don’t think twice. I spoke with the coach and the new owners, and I felt confident in my decision, even though I didn’t play much in the opening six games.
“For just a few days, I wondered what was going on, but as soon as I started to get minutes, I knew Newcastle was the place to be."
