The midfielder grabbed his first goal of the season on the big stage in Paris but now hopes that it can be the first of many in Europe
11:49, 29 Jan 2026Updated 11:52, 29 Jan 2026
Newcastle United’s Joe Willock celebrates his goal against PSG(Image: Getty Images)
Joe Willock says there are no limits for Newcastle United in the Champions League this season – and spoke of his eagerness to bring more Euro goals to the table for the Magpies.
Willock has been hit with thigh and calf injuries, which have restricted his appearance tally for United. For a player who vowed in 2024 to push for England’s World Cup squad this summer, his strike at Parc des Princes was long overdue and it was little wonder he celebrated so wildly in Paris.
Speaking of his relief after ending a near 12-month goal drought, Willock said: “It has been a long time and it has been tough for me. I have had tough moments but I have always stuck in and turned up in training.
“I give my best in everything I do. Thank God this moment has happened. I am just looking forward to the next game in this competition.
“I am delighted. I thank God at this moment for scoring my first goal. Hopefully, I can get many more.”
Newcastle missed out on a place in the top eight last night and had to settle for a play-off spot with Qarabag or Monaco next up in the knockout stages. But Willock is confident that Newcastle, who could face Barcelona in the last 16, can take on anybody.
Willock, speaking to TNT, said: “I feel like we can take confidence from it. It is a hard place to come to, obviously they have amazing players.
“We really dug deep. It s a good performance and we know we can take that into the next game of the competition. We came here and we trusted each other. We knew it would be hard and we’d be under pressure during some moments.
“Popey made a brilliant save for the penalty then we just took it from there. We just grew into the game and I was happy with how it finished.”
Willock has been linked with moves to Crystal Palace and Leeds this window, but Eddie Howe has no intention of selling the midfielder who has a contract until 2027. Instead, he wants the ex-Arsenal man to help his team fight on multiple fronts the rest of this season.
Newcastle have only ventured to the last 16 once before during the Sir Bobby Robson era when they reached the old second phase group section. But their path in Europe is becoming clearer after moving on from the 36-team Champions League big board.
When asked how far Newcastle can take things, Willock said: “We want to go as far as possible. We know that we have such a good squad. We can cause the opposition problems. We came to PSG and caused them problems.
“We came here and could have won the game. That shows how good we are and we want to push on in this competition.”
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