During Saturday’s 2-1 win over Burnley, a capacity crowd rose as one to welcome Newcastle United’s new number nine and £55 million signing. It was a deafening roar, amplifying the relief of finally seeing him don the club’s famous number nine shirt.
A knee injury picked up on international duty forced him into recovery for four months, but better late than never.
Wissa’s move to Newcastle was controversial. After a summer-long standoff between the striker and former club Brentford, during which he refused to train in order to secure his switch to Tyneside, he got his wish on deadline day.
Yoane Wissa becomes latest player to wear Newcastle's famous no.9 shirt
But the frustration of his absence has taken a toll, as he admitted after the game.
"It has been a long wait for me, for the fans and for my family,” said the 29-year-old.
"It is something I have been dreaming of all summer and when it happens you feel like you are living the dream.
"So I am quite happy for that reception, which gave me goosebumps when I came on. It was a long wait, but in the end, we got there.
"I had to watch the team from the stand. Every few days, I would visualise myself on the pitch and imagine helping the team in the best way I can.
"Today was not about me, we won and that is the most important thing. Now we are just looking forward to the next game."
Wissa is aware of the responsibility he has to hit the ground running, and the history of the shirt on his back will only accentuate that. But he is ready to fire.
“It's a top number here in Newcastle. When I was growing up, I was watching the likes of Alan Shearer, Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse.
“I'm quite happy to wear it, this is a top club. It's a very big privilege for me, and I need to deliver.”
Goals have not been easy to come by for Newcastle this season and that has only added to the angst over Wissa’s injury. After last season’s top scorer Alexander Isak’s departure for Liverpool in the summer, the club also signed Germany striker Nick Woltemade for £69m.
Although he has impressed individually, scoring seven times in all competitions, his unique style as a player who thrives with link-up rather than running in behind has created teething issues with the general attacking output.
Wissa is a more traditional striker more suited to Eddie Howe’s tactical approach, and there is a feeling that his presence would have eased the transition to Woltemade. He is confident the pair can play together, despite replacing him on 74 minutes at the weekend.
“He is a top player, unique, he can do all sorts of things,” Wissa said of Woltemade. "He is certainly taller than me!
“I can run around him. We can definitely play together. The manager is buzzing to have both players like this.”
At the point Wissa was introduced, it felt ideal. Newcastle were in cruise control, 2-0 up and comfortable after Bruno Guimaraes scored an astonishing goal direct from a corner and Anthony Gordon netted from the penalty spot for the second time this week. Lucas Pires’ red card appeared to make the visitors’ task unsurmountable, given they’d lost their last five league games beforehand.
While the lack of jeopardy in the second half felt comforting at the time, a concerning pattern of throwing away leads late on has magnified the aforementioned lack of attacking fluency. Tuesday’s draw with Tottenham saw the number of points dropped rise to 11 and Cristian Romero’s equaliser was the fifth stoppage time concession this season.
Zian Flemming’s penalty made it six before he somehow failed to connect with a cross while free at the back post at the death. From complete control, Newcastle almost threw away another game within a minute with no prior warning; there are serious questions about the concentration and mentality of Howe’s team as they enter a critical stage of the season.
Wissa’s emergence offers hope and different options in attack. Missing him has cast a huge shadow over the season so far because Newcastle were unable to freely move on from the loss of Isak. Howe says Wissa will need his own mini pre-season to fully get up to speed, but he will not be heading to the Africa Cup of Nations with DR Congo later this month, welcome news for the Magpies.
With a crucial Champions League game away at Bayer Leverkusen to come on Wednesday before the small matter of the first league Wear-Tyne derby in almost a decade next week, his debut could hardly have been better timed.
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