'Manchester United interest didn't affect me' Newcastle United star Lewis Hall reveals impact of summer transfer distraction
Newcastle United defender Lewis Hall insists he was not distracted by speculation linking him with Manchester United this summer
Hall, 22, signed a two-year extension with no release clause last week, tying him to the club until 2031 despite enquiries from the Red Devils and summer-long speculation linking him with a move to Old Trafford.
He capped off a great few days, which also included an England recall, with a goal in Newcastle’s 2-1 win over Hull City on Saturday.
Newcastle fans could be forgiven for fearing Hall would follow the likes of Bruno Guimaraes, Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali out of the door this summer, but he instead committed his future to the club he supported as a boy.
'When you're linked to another team, you know you're doing something right'
The speculation didn’t unsettle him, and he says signing the new deal at the height of its intensity shows he believes in the club’s future and wants to be part of it.
"No, honestly, it didn’t [affect me],” he said after the game.
"I guess whenever you're linked to another team, you know that you're doing something right. I guess it's just a credit to your own performances and how you are as a player, how you are as a person. I took that as a positive, but at the same time, I knew how much I love playing here.
"Obviously, I'm really grateful for the contract that I've received and the trust that I've been given from the board and from the manager and everything like that.
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"But yeah, I'm just taking it game by game, just trying to do the best I can for this club. We've got ambitions and as long as we achieve these ambitions and achieve what we want to achieve, I'm sure I'll be here for a long time.”
Newcastle’s rocky summer took its biggest turn at the end of July when manager Eddie Howe stepped down and German coach Matthias Jaissle arrived from Al-Ahli.
Hall says Jaissle’s impact made signing a new deal a “no brainer” and is confident in the future with him in charge.
“Since the manager came in, the ambitions and what we wanted to achieve [have been clear].
“After not many conversations, not many training sessions, I knew that the manager was going to be really good for this club. Bringing in new players and improving the squad was really important and as soon as we did that, it was a no-brainer really to sign.
"He's a top guy. He's been so good to me. He gives me the licence to express myself as long as I do the defensive work and do the running that's required for this position, which is quite a lot of work.
“But I'm happy to do it as long as it benefits the team. He's been a positive for everyone who's come in so far."
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