Salomon Rondon has liked Newcastle United fans long before ever joining the Magpies.
Salomon Rondon has admitted to The Chronicle that Newcastle United fans blew him away during his trip to St James’s Park with West Bromwich Albion.
The former Zenit striker joined Newcastle on a season-long loan from the relegated Baggies this past summer.
Rafael Benitez’s side picked up a first win of the Premier League season on Saturday as the Magpies beat Watford 1-0 on Tyneside.
Rondon was not the match-winner, but the St James’s Park faithful roared him on nonetheless in a gesture which the 29-year-old claims moved him.
The Venezeula international is yet to open his account for Newcastle in the Premier League, but admits that it was an ‘unbelievable feeling’ to hear the supporters cheer him on.
“It was great to hear that. The crowd uplifted me. When you are playing it is an unbelievable feeling to hear the Geordies singing for you,” he told The Chronicle.
“The atmosphere is amazing. It helped us keep fighting and get three points. The atmosphere is the best I have experienced in my career.
“When I came here with West Brom I could not believe it, to hear them singing the whole game and supporting the team, I just thought: ‘Wow that’s fantastic that’.”
As supportive as Newcastle fans are, they will want to see results from Rondon – who earns £60,000 a week [Spotrac] – sooner rather than later.
You could argue that United’s survival hopes in the Premier League this season hinge on whether the South American starts finding the net on a regular basis.
He is Benitez’s best striker on paper, and if he isn’t scoring regularly then it’s going to be very, very hard for the North-East side – who sit 17th in the table – to stay up.
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