Yankuba Minteh reveals Newcastle star he looks up to as Toon consider January recall

Yankuba Minteh has been speaking to NUFC.co.uk about his summer move to Newcastle, loan spell at Feyenoord and the current Mag he is hoping to emulate.

He reveals that it was a "dream come true" to join Newcastle, revealing that he used to enjoy watching Hatem Ben Arfa, Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse, but now looks up to Miguel Almiron; believing he has a 'similar playing style' to the quick and hard-working Paraguayan.

The 19-year-old has missed Feyenoord's last five games due to a hamstring injury, but Mark Douglas at iNews reports that Toon chiefs are 'toying with the idea' of recalling the winger due to our ongoing injury crisis.

Here's what Minteh has had to say, starting with his comments about watching Newcastle growing up:

“Everyone wants to play in the Premier League growing up. It’s a league which the whole world watches.

“I used to be a fan of Hatem Ben Arfa when he was Newcastle and I enjoyed the way he played. I liked Demba Ba and Papiss Cissé too but, now, I'm looking up to Miguel Almirón, a winger like myself, as I believe we have a similar playing style.

“My main strengths as a footballer is my pace. I am able to run quite fast and I like to dribble, beating defenders in one-on-one situations and scoring goals. Dribbling is one of the things I enjoy most when playing on the pitch."

Minteh on his summer move to Newcastle:

“This is a dream come true for anyone. Every footballer wants to play in the top five leagues in Europe and the Premier League is number one if you’re counting a top division.

“It’s a great opportunity for me. Newcastle is a big club and I see they like a lot of young players which is a reason why I wanted to join. I just need to continue working hard whilst at Feyenoord.

“Everyone in Gambia is trying to get out of the country and play in Europe because that’s where everyone can see you and it can help you in a financial way as you can get paid more than playing in Africa.

“These moves have helped me so much. I have a different life, knowing how to eat well and focussing on my football. It’s the thing I have chosen to do since I was young, my dream, and now I have achieved that dream of becoming a professional footballer."

Minteh on his loan spell with Feyenoord so far:

 “Everything is going well so far at Feyenoord. It’s a good team and I am surrounded by good people so it’s been a positive start. The standard of football here is very good and I’m trying to work as hard as possible everyday in training and matches.

“The coaches and players in the squad have given me a lot of advice and tried to help me a lot. If I don’t understand something, they are there to explain it to me so I fully understand what they want.

“I feel I’m developing a lot both on and off the pitch. Playing in Holland is different to Denmark. It’s a lot bigger with a different culture and there’s a lot of top players in every position on the pitch.

"That was something I found hard when I first arrived but I think I’m coping with it and I’ve been able to take my chance in the team. I feel I’m getting stronger everyday, both physically and mentally."

I can see the temptation to bring him back after four goal involvements in nine Eredivisie appearances, but it could impact his progress if he swapped regular football with Feyenoord for a fringe role on Tyneside?