Callum Wilson Takes on New Role After Leaving Newcastle United

Given the uncertainty surrounding his future with Newcastle, Callum Wilson has landed a commentary position at the Club World Cup. With his current contract expiring at the end of the month, the 33-year-old striker looks certain to depart St. James’ Park this summer.
Wilson has been with the Magpies for five years, and while discussions about extending his stay are underway, he will become a free agent if no agreement is reached. Wasting no time, he has joined DAZN’s punditry team for the Club World Cup.

The revamped FIFA tournament kicks off on Saturday, where Wilson will draw on his Premier League experience to provide expert analysis. He will be part of an impressive studio lineup for the 32-team competition, which will take place in the United States over the next month.

Among the other noted pundits are Brazilian legend Ronaldo and former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel, alongside Sami Khedira, Shay Given, ex-Manchester United player Kleberson, and Christian Vieri.

The tournament opening match will feature Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami against Egyptian side Al Ahly. Additionally, Wilson will have the opportunity to analyze some of his Premier League rivals, as Manchester City and Chelsea will be the two English clubs participating.

This news comes shortly after Newcastle provided an update on Wilson’s contract situation. The club’s retained list indicated that Wilson was among four players whose futures would be evaluated in the coming weeks.

While it was confirmed that Lloyd Kelly and Jamal Lewis would leave, the club did not rule out Wilson and goalkeeper John Ruddy remaining past the summer. The statement read: “Callum Wilson and John Ruddy are set to be out of contract at the end of June, however the club has opened discussions with both players about their futures, and new contracts could still be agreed.”

Reports suggest that newly-promoted Premier League team Leeds are leading the race to sign Wilson. It has been indicated that Newcastle may allow him to leave for free if offered first-team opportunities elsewhere.

Wilson’s last season in black and white was disappointing; he made 20 appearances across competitions but only managed to score once, in the FA Cup, due to injury setbacks. He characterized the season as “one of my worst,” despite the team’s overall success.

He shared in a match program before Newcastle’s penultimate home game, a 2-0 victory over Chelsea: “As a collective, it’s been one of the best campaigns and teams I’ve been a part of – yet individually, it’s been one of my worst seasons.”

In the 2023/24 season, Wilson faced significant challenges with fitness, missing 23 games due to injury and illness. Furthermore, he has struggled for playing time behind Alexander Isak over the past two seasons.

However, prior to those struggles, the former Coventry City player was the Geordies’ primary striker, demonstrating why the club invested an estimated £20million to bring him from Bournemouth in 2020. During the 2022–2023 season, Wilson scored an impressive 18 goals in 31 league games, enabling the team finish in fourth place and earn a Champions League berth. He also finished fifth in the Golden Boot race.

In 130 games with Newcastle, Callum Wilson has scored 49 goals overall.