"That dog is so spoiled, to be honest," says Joe Willock, quietly and with a shake of the head, as he talks about his cockapoo Teddy, a new addition to his household. "He has a dog walker – he walks him every morning, and then he gets groomed in the afternoon. It's a good life for him."
Teddy is dearly loved by Willock, a southerner up north whose first full season at Newcastle United was trying. His spectacular loan spell with the club in 2020/21 brought eight goals, including a record-breaking seven-game scoring run, but being borrowed meant he knew a return to London – home – was never too far away. When he joined permanently from Arsenal that summer, he felt isolated.
"I didn't realise how hard it would be to change so much of my life, and to be on my own," admits the 23-year-old. "I didn't really consider the mental side of it too much. I just thought, 'yep, I'm going to sign for Newcastle', and that's it. I didn't consider moving up here on my own, living on my own, not being able to see my friends when I want to, being out of touch with my family.
"It affected me around the training ground and on the pitch. I was a bit down. I wasn't as happy as I could have been. When I'm not happy I can't play my best football, you know? That's how it affected me.
"Now, I'm feeling much happier. My mum and dad have moved up, I've got a dog, I'm loving life in the outskirts of Newcastle. I'm much better now."
There are regular walks with Teddy, who likes to roam around the field behind Willock's house, and trips to the beach. The presence of his parents, Charles and Sarah, is a source of comfort too. It is a marked difference from those dark days at the start of last season, when he would return home after training and "find yourself just sitting down in a room, watching, binging TV," he says softly. "Or just laying down and going to sleep for silly hours, then waking up and doing nothing."
"Now, I'm feeling much happier. My mum and dad have moved up, I've got a dog, I'm loving life in the outskirts of Newcastle. I'm much better now."
He seems content now as we find a sofa in a quieter corner of the Magpies' training centre. There is noise all around – Newcastle's Benton base is being refurbished, a hectic building site – and it contrasts with his natural calmness. "I'm way happier," he nods. "People see that when I walk around the training ground, day-to-day. People will say to me, 'Joe, you look much happier now, you're smiling more!' It's not that I'm putting it on. It's just natural. I'm enjoying my time here, I'm enjoying working with the manager, I'm enjoying learning every day. It's been a good change, to be honest."
There has been a more collective shift, too, in attitude and outlook. Willock played in the 4-1 defeat at Manchester United just over a year ago and – despite having suffered with "a fever, headache and body aches" which meant he had to drive to Old Trafford alone – came on as substitute in Sunday’s goalless draw at the same venue.
What's the difference, from a player's perspective, between how things were around the time of that game 13 months ago and now? "We're a much better team. We've worked with the manager, we've learned so much and we've onboarded loads of key players into the team, which has helped. But as a team, we're resilient, we're harder to beat, and to be honest, we should have won that game on Sunday.
"I think it's about belief – belief in each and every one of your teammates, belief in the manager and what he wants to do, belief in his gameplan, and clarity. The manager gives such clarity, before the games and during the week in training, so you know exactly what you need to do. When it comes to the game, you have full confidence that you can put it all on the pitch."
That precision provided by head coach Howe "makes it all so much easier" according to Willock and he feels better for it. "Maybe it's not showing as much because I haven't scored a lot of goals," he adds. "But as an actual player, I feel like I've improved so much. When I add goals to my game and that final end product, I can go to the next level."
Willock's use of when and not if implies conviction that those goals will come eventually but what exactly the next level would look like for him is open for debate. He has played for his country from under-16 to under-21 level and it is not beyond the realms of possibility, given his age and his club's apparent trajectory, that he could come under consideration for a senior call-up.
"It would be a blessing for me to ever get called up for England. It's every kid’s dream," he says. "I was born in Walthamstow, I've lived in England all my life, and to play for and represent your country is a dream. Hopefully one day.
"I feel like I have the ability to play for England. It's up to me, really."
Celebrating after scoring for England Under-20s against Germany in 2019
Willock says he gleaned strength from his faith at times when he needed it. "I grew up in a Christian household. I grew up believing in God. When I started spending a lot of time on my own, I was going through some places – I wouldn't say depressed, but I was just really upset sometimes, because I was just on my own a lot, you know? So to have that to hold on to was a big help for me. I feel like being up here on my own developed my faith a lot more.
"It's probably been the biggest thing for me, mentally – to have that thing that I can always rely on, have that faith in, is a big thing for me. It's something I take very seriously and is very sensitive to me. It's helped me so much and it's got me through everything in my life. I'm blessed to have that relationship with God."
He is currently looking for a local church to attend – "it's a bit sensitive – you have to find the right one, you know?" – but comfort has been found in other places too. Willock told the Guardian last week that he has confided in Howe since his arrival, and that it is the first time in his professional life to date where he has felt able to do that with his boss.
"It's very difficult for me to trust someone," he says. "For me to confide in a manager is a big thing. I take a long time to trust someone, especially in football. I feel like in football, there's so many people telling you things that aren't true – half-truths, lies. There's a lot of things people have told me in the past that are not true in football. To trust the manager is a big thing.
"To do it here is something really big for a player like me. If you know you can trust a manager – he's the leader of the club, you know – and if you can speak to him, it's a massive thing.
"But the gaffer's built that trust with the players by being so humble. He's never put himself above anyone. I feel like that builds a lot of trust. You can go to him and speak to him."
Willock taking on Matt Ritchie during his Premier League debut for Arsenal in April 2018
There is a Tyneside-themed circularity about Willock’s career so far, which began in earnest with a Premier League debut at St. James' Park in a 2-1 defeat for Arsenal in April 2018. "I remember going home and saying to my father, 'the crowd feels like it's on top of my head'. I remember saying that – 'it was weird, dad. I've never played in a stadium like that – I've never even been in a stadium like that'. To now come back and play in front of those fans for Newcastle is just crazy really. It's crazy how life works."
Apart from a brief trip to the North East to watch one of his brothers, Matty, play during a brief stint in Sunderland’s academy, Willock had never been to the area until he signed for Newcastle. Now, it feels a lot more like home - and he no longer recognises the shell-like, dormant club he faced on his league bow for the Gunners.
"It's a much different club, even in terms of the respect you feel from opponents now," says Willock. "Back then, and no offence to Newcastle back then, but when I was at Arsenal we didn't really have that fear I feel in opponents when they play us now. It's a totally different approach that they have to us. That's amazing for the club.
"You can just feel it, you know? You can just feel it. Since I've been at Newcastle, I wouldn't say we've ever been fearful of teams, but at times we've sat back, and we haven't pressed high. How we play now is totally different to in the past.
"I've been there with teams – I know when they're feeling that way, and I feel like a lot of teams come to St. James' and now have that fear in them. That's amazing for us."
