Newcastle man confirms he is staying at St. James Park only because of Eddie Howe
Emil Krafth recently agreed to a one-year contract extension at Newcastle United.
The Swedish defender, who would have been a free agent at the end of the season, will remain at St. James’ Park until the summer of 2025, and it’s all thanks to Eddie Howe.
“He was really on me, he pushed it the most,” Krafth told Sportbladet.
“We had a nice conversation where he said that I wasn’t going anywhere. That he trusted me very much and that I never disappointed him. Then he has respected my injury and therefore I may not have played as much as I wanted, but he was very clear that he wanted to keep me and that I was absolutely not going anywhere. He said that I have a long future at the club.”
Going on to admit his manager helped convince him to stick around, the 29-year-old said: “Yes, absolutely.
“Before the meeting, I didn’t really know where the club and the coach stood. But afterwards it felt obvious.
“It was a huge relief to hear that he and the club wanted to keep me. It is clear there were some thoughts in other directions, but after the meeting I had with him, it was the nail in the coffin. It became much easier to sign.”
Since joining the Geordies from French side Amiens SC in 2019, Krafth, who has represented Sweden on 44 occasions, has directly contributed to three goals in 73 games in all competitions.
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