Gael Bigirimana’s signing is the good news for today for Newcastle United fans, and now all we need is another seven or eight good days (or maybe more), when the club can bring in some top senior players to the club, and a few more top Development players.
Gael Bigirimana – during his interview this afternoon
Bigirimana arrives with a great reputation for being a very promising defensive midfield player, and he has just signed a five year deal at Newcastle, and has been interviewed this afternoon by Rob Scanlon of nufcTV.
The 18 year-old talked about being at Coventry City since he was 11 years old, and continually thanked the Coventry club for taking good care of him.
He seems a down to earth lad, who comes across as very modest and even humble, and he seems to have a burning ambition to improve – so he’s at the right club at Newcastle.
It’s a great interview so any of you who have a subscription to nufcTV it’s definitely worth a viewing of the interview.
Here’s some of what Gael had to say to Rob Scanlon this afternoon, and he first talked about how he first got to introduce himself to Coventry City:
“I moved with my family and we lived in Coventry,” “One day I was just going with my brother to buy some milk at Asda and then I looked to my right and there was this center where the Coventry youth team Academy trained. There was something in me – like a voice – just said ‘go and ask to train.’
“The next day, I went there and I just asked if I could train and stuff. They were kind of like, ‘this is awkward, you can’t just come in here and ask to train. We have to come and watch you and scout you if you’re good!’
“So I gave them the name of my school and they told me ‘if you’ve got a school match, we’ll come and watch you.’ I was excited – I was like ‘yes, they’ll come and watch me and I’ll have my chance’ – and I just started jogging off because I was excited.
“Then as I was running, they stopped me. They called me back and I thought ‘there’s no-one around me so it’s got to be me that they’re calling.’ So I went back and they asked me: ‘are you good enough?’. I just said: ‘well you’ll have to wait and see if you give me a chance.’
“They asked me if I had any shin pads and stuff and I said yes – but I didn’t! The next day, I went and trained with them and from then it’s just been an amazing journey.”
Gael continued to say that Coventry were like family to him, and certainly his English is very good, and it should be even better in a couple of years with a Geordie twang to it – he could even take lessons from Tim Krul? 😀
Here’s the holding midfielder thanking Coventry City for all they did for him, and the Sky Blues obviously took very good care of the youngster, to their enormous credit:
“They have been like my second family because for the last seven or eight years I’ve been with them most of the time. They’re just like my family and they’ve changed me so much as a person and as a footballer.”
“I used to be a centre-back but the Coventry Academy Manager Greg Rioch said ‘I don’t want you to play there, I want you to play somewhere where there’ll be bodies around because it’s kind of too easy for you at center-back.”
“And now I realize that’s where I belong, in the middle. They were great people to have and they were like a great family.” “But you never get too many opportunities like this.” “It might come once in a lifetime and sometimes you just have to take it and go and learn.”
“It might be hard but life is not promised to be easy so that’s why I took the chance.” “I’m an all-rounder.” “If I have to do a job for the team, I do the job for the team; if I have to play as a holding player, I’ll hold; if I have to play more as a creator, I love creating and I love the style that Newcastle play.
“I’m a team player and to be around such good players, I will learn every day so hopefully I can break through.” “When I used to look at footballers, I used to think ‘they’re just different people’,” “You see them getting interviewed, you see all the profiles before the match and you think they’re on another planet.
“So for me to be doing this, it’s like somebody’s just having a laugh with me or something! But I’ve just got to enjoy every moment. It’s a blessing.”
Gail also said he would be learning from one of the best holding midfielders today – Cheick Tiote – and Gail thinks Cheick’s already one of the very best in the world at the moment.
Our impression of the lad is very positive having seen the interview, and with hard work and dedication to improving, there’s no reason this lad cannot become a top class player at Newcastle.
We wish him the very best at Newcastle, and we know the Tyneside club will take really good care of him and he’ll also have the full support of the Geordie fans, and we hope he fulfills his full potential at Newcastle United.
Comments welcome.
112 comments so far
Kyo
Jul 6, 2012 at 8:02 PM
Comment #41Debuchy for league, Santon for Euro/Cup
Dannyo
Jul 6, 2012 at 8:04 PM
Comment #42@Kyo
Fergy at LB fulltime? Perhaps Dummet to back up? What about Tavernier?
graham cwarr
Jul 6, 2012 at 8:04 PM
Comment #43I have agreed cissokho looks good. But i think where santon plays will depend on whether we land a rb or a lb as i guess we’re looking at both
giimps
Jul 6, 2012 at 8:05 PM
Comment #44Would we be better off with someone who can play both LB and RB like Santon or a dedicated LB/RB like Cissoko/Deuchy?
Tough one for me
Ketsbaia9
Jul 6, 2012 at 8:10 PM
Comment #45Cissokho will have more sell on value than Debuchy. He went to Lyon for 15 million euros 2 years ago.
I won’t be disappointed if we sign Debuchy though. I think it’s obvious that Simpson’s leaving, so we’ll get someone decent in. Can see us not signing a top striker until deadline day.
I think Paul Scharner would be an excellent signing as defensive cover. He has come out and stated that he wants to play at the back. Why not sign him and release Williamson?
darrenfletcher88
Jul 6, 2012 at 8:10 PM
Comment #46Do the toon only sign players with names we can’t say!!!hehe
Milburnio
Jul 6, 2012 at 8:14 PM
Comment #47You lot can all look forward to a new hairdressers popping up on tyneside now http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/2012/03/21/coventry-city-star-gael-bigirimana-opens-hair-salon-in-coventry-92746-30586152/ His face has been adorning cov city centre for a few months now. Top lad
graham cwarr
Jul 6, 2012 at 8:14 PM
Comment #48I don’t get the scharner thing. And releasing Williamson then get him? Please.
A guy released by….erm….. Oh well he must have made an impact
t00ntime
Jul 6, 2012 at 8:17 PM
Comment #49The funny thing about the video ronaldo7 posted is the comment:
“Mackem mike will sell all ur players again and AP a geordie hero hahahahaha 3 defeats and he will be fired geordie scum”
So without any of our (apparantly) ‘best’ players we finished higher than sunderland
And 2 seasons back bruce was a mackem hero… Where is he now?
Lol the comment seems to be making fun of mackems…
gonufc (up and Hatem)
Jul 6, 2012 at 8:17 PM
Comment #50@cwarr – totally agree, what’s the point of chucking someone who has been solid and dedicated away for someone who has been widely seen as a mercenary and no improvement either!?!?
toon smart
Jul 6, 2012 at 8:18 PM
Comment #51There is no guarantee that cissokho will have a better sell on value. If he continues to play as poorly as he has done since moving to lyon then his price will go down further.
I would hazard to say that most people feel that debuchy is a better player than cissokho for their respective positions. Therefore, debuchy would be more of an asset to the team.
Ketsbaia9
Jul 6, 2012 at 8:20 PM
Comment #52Well not released, but we could get £750k for him.
I rate Scharner as a player. He is a goalscoring defender and we should’ve signed him 3 years ago.
I think Scharner and Sakho/Aldereweild is all we need for the CB positions at the moment.
We will have Streete and Good as the youngsters to come through and someone like Mbiwa will eventually replace Coloccini.
Ketsbaia9
Jul 6, 2012 at 8:23 PM
Comment #53Realistically, I think we should sign:
Cissokho
Aldereweild
Scharner
Luuk De Jong
Steven Fletcher
Courgnet/good attcking midfielder
I have given up on Vertonghen.
graham cwarr
Jul 6, 2012 at 8:24 PM
Comment #54So scharner is all we need yet you mention 3 players we don’t have?
graham cwarr
Jul 6, 2012 at 8:26 PM
Comment #55AAnd talking of goalscoring defenders id sooner have huht than scharner
Twatter
Jul 6, 2012 at 8:26 PM
Comment #56Ketsbaia will you please shut the f**k up about Scharner? No wonder no one takes you seriously… Paul Scharner is the type of player the mackems would sign.
Kyo
Jul 6, 2012 at 8:27 PM
Comment #57De Jong isn’t a realistic target anymore. I’d let that one go tbh.
No Plain Saylor
Jul 6, 2012 at 8:28 PM
Comment #58Alderweild is NOT LEAVING AJAX
Scharner and s.fletcher are NOT GOOD ENOUGH and TOO OLD!!
Indian Magpie
Jul 6, 2012 at 8:29 PM
Comment #59Ketsabia 9
Corgnet is off to lyonnais
Ketsbaia9
Jul 6, 2012 at 8:30 PM
Comment #60Also, Vurnon Anita. I forgot about him.
Scharner would be good as a third or fourth choice defensive option. He is free, so It’ll save a couple of million.
I still think we have a chance in getting De Jong.
Kyo
Jul 6, 2012 at 8:31 PM
Comment #61You also thought we had a chance in getting Vertonghen lol
graham cwarr
Jul 6, 2012 at 8:32 PM
Comment #62@twatter a little less diplomatic but those are my sentiments exactly
Twatter
Jul 6, 2012 at 8:33 PM
Comment #63Next he will be saying we should sign Heskey and try and tempt Windass out of retirement. Lol, forget this guy, knows nothing.
WWYCD
Jul 6, 2012 at 8:33 PM
Comment #64Scharner? I am praying this is a different Scharner than the 30 year old who played for West Brom?
graham cwarr
Jul 6, 2012 at 8:36 PM
Comment #65Wow Kyo you’re a reet downer
WWYCD
Jul 6, 2012 at 8:36 PM
Comment #66Indian Magpie
Corgnet is off to Lyon? When was this sorted?
Indian Magpie
Jul 6, 2012 at 8:37 PM
Comment #67WWYCD
Corgnet tweeted this himself
graham cwarr
Jul 6, 2012 at 8:38 PM
Comment #68But twatter he “knew” santon was bought for rb.
Still a clueless cretin
Indian Magpie
Jul 6, 2012 at 8:41 PM
Comment #69Matt Spiro ?@mattspiro
Dijon MF Benjamin Corgnet says on twitter he’ll join Lyon – despite interest from ?#CFC? & ?#LFC? – because he thinks he’ll play regularly there
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Ketsbaia9
Jul 6, 2012 at 8:42 PM
Comment #7032’s not too old. He’s still got 3 good years left in him. Sol Campbell was 35 when we signed him.
So, we need a good quality attacking midfielder (maybe Hoilett?)
Thanks for putting my comments on Newcastle United Mad. Cheers.
WWYCD
Jul 6, 2012 at 8:43 PM
Comment #71Indian Magpie
Oh really? Suppose we dont really need him now
Indian Magpie
Jul 6, 2012 at 8:43 PM
Comment #72Good Night Gents
Indian Magpie
Jul 6, 2012 at 8:44 PM
Comment #73Its not in our hands
WWYCD
Jul 6, 2012 at 8:45 PM
Comment #74Sol Campbell was 35 when we signed him ur right and he was brilliant for us…
But tbf to Campbell he was once upon a time a top draw defender, world class some would say. I dont see many lining up to give Scharner that level of praise
MagpiesFlyHigh
Jul 6, 2012 at 8:46 PM
Comment #75These scouse trolls must be really sad lonely people if they can’t communicate on their own blogs. Why do they bother, they’re barely literate ?
Warwick Hunt
Jul 6, 2012 at 8:47 PM
Comment #76Gaelo
Gaaaaaelo
Bigirimana he wanna score goals!
MagpiesFlyHigh
Jul 6, 2012 at 8:49 PM
Comment #77Kets 51 & 58
and still get change from a tenner
SupaToonKid
Jul 6, 2012 at 8:51 PM
Comment #78Ketsbaia
Please stop humiliating yourself with these ridiculous transfer suggestions. You’re never realistic as you always pick players we cannot get (Alderweireld wants to stay at Ajax & de Jong deal if off) and sh*t players we would never look at (Fletcher & Scharner). You seem determined for the club to over spend unneccessary fees and buy crap; do you want us to become like the Bindippers. Next thing you’ll be suggesting signing Downing.
SupaToonKid
Jul 6, 2012 at 8:52 PM
Comment #79Debuchy
Good
Sakho
Matuidi
Hoilett
Guidetti
MagpiesFlyHigh
Jul 6, 2012 at 9:01 PM
Comment #80STK 76
Exactly
That’s why the club cannot be second guessed on signings. Gael coming in is perfectly logical sensible and inspired if you think about the first team in two years time.