In-form Woltemade happy to break Germany goal duck

Another game, another goal for Newcastle's record signing Nick Woltemade.

The club record £69m signing from Stuttgart took his tally to four goals in his last five games for club and country on Monday with his first international goal in Germany's 1-0 win over Northern Ireland in a World Cup qualifier at Windsor Park.

The in-form striker has scored four times for the Magpies in all competitions since joining the club in August and found the net for his national team on his sixth appearance in Belfast.

"I'm really happy about it," Woltemade told BBC Sport NI after Germany's win.

"The last game didn't go so well for me so I was really happy today that I score. Maybe it's because I'm in the West of Europe, I score there more often!"

The 23-year-old striker is alluding to his lacklustre performance last time out for the national team against Luxembourg on Friday when Germany won 4-0.

After starting the game, Woltemade was replaced after an hour after registering only one effort on goal but he broke his international duck against Northern Ireland to seal three points for Germany.

"It was really important when you look at the table. We needed this win, it was a difficult away game, but an amazing atmosphere," he said.

"It was a hard game. A lot of long balls. A lot of duals, it was not easy. It was really difficult. They shoot the ball and cross the ball from everywhere so we always have to go on the dual, it was like 50/50 and the ball is dropping somewhere but I think we did really well."

"We knew this would be part of the game but I think we did quite good."

In Belfast, Woltemade came up against a new local rival in Sunderland's Dan Ballard but seemed somewhat disappointed at the lack of physicality the pair were allowed to engage in.

"There was no battle between us [with Dan Ballard]. I think the referee stopped us from the battle.

"It was different from the Premier League. The referee whistles a lot and gives all the time foul for each so it was not the dual I think that it should be in the Premier League."