“I have always been used to change,” he explains in an in-depth feature interview. “I first went abroad when I was 15. I was playing for a local team, SC Air Bel, and during a game, I heard that Juventus were watching me.
“At first, I was a bit scared. I was scared to leave my family when I was just 15 – I’m very close to them. That's not easy, but I knew what I wanted to do. I said to myself: ‘you have to find another pathway. We don't all have the same path.’ Mine was to leave – I knew I had to.
“I visited the facilities and liked them a lot. I also liked Italy – it made me grow up. I was a baby, but moving to Italy forced me to become a man. It was a big step in my career.
“They [Massimiliano Allegri and Maurizio Sarri] were great coaches, who were always a pleasure to train under. I trained with some very good players. There was Cristiano Ronaldo, Paulo Dybala… training wasn't easy!"
Read the full interview in the Newcastle matchday programme now, along with all your regular favourites like Oliver Glasner, Steve Parish, Doc Brown and more.