Yankuba Minteh delivers Newcastle United future verdict ahead of Feyenoord transfer decision

Yankuba Minteh has given an insight into his loan spell with Dutch champions Feyenoord and revealed why he is excited about his move to Newcastle United.

The Gambian youngster became the Magpies first summer signing when they saw off competition from a number of clubs around Europe after concluding a £6m deal with Danish side Odense. Minteh’s initial introduction to life on Tyneside was relatively short after he was allowed the gain valuable experience with a season-long loan in the Eredivise.

The 19-year-old has made a positive impressive at the De Kuip Stadium, scoring three goals and providing two assists in 15 appearances in all competitions, as well as putting in eye-catching displays in Champions League fixtures against the likes of Celtic and Atletico Madrid.

Minteh returned from a hamstring injury to provide an assist for Santiago Gimenez to score in Feyenoord’s recent 4-2 win at Excelsior and he will hope to continue shining in Thursday’s meeting with Volendam, where he could come up against fellow Magpies loanee Garang Kuol.

Minteh told nufc.co.uk: “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." 

The injury crisis that has decimated Newcastle’s squad led to some suggestions Minteh’s season-long spell at Feyenoord could be cut short during the January transfer window and Magpies boss Eddie Howe admitted that was under consideration.

However, the talented winger admitted he was solely focused on working hard with the Eredivise champions to ensure he is in the best position to grasp the ‘great opportunity’ that has been handed to him with his move to St James Park.

He said: "Everyone wants to play in the Premier League growing up. It's a league which the whole world watches. 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. 

"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.”