Alan Shearer has joked that Joe Willock might want to stay at Newcastle United so that the Arsenal loanee can continue to 'play for a big club'.
Steve Bruce would dearly love to extend Willock's stay at St James' Park after the 21-year-old made a stunning contribution following his deadline day loan move from Arsenal.
As well as giving Newcastle a new dimension with his ability to bring the ball forward and drive from deep, Willock has also popped up with some priceless goals.
Willock has scored seven times - only Callum Wilson has bagged more goals for Newcastle this season - to help the black-and-whites pull clear of danger.
Indeed, had Willock not scored against Southampton, Spurs, West Ham, Liverpool and Sheffield United, Newcastle would have ended up with just three points instead of 11.
It was hardly a surprise, then, that Newcastle fans repeatedly reminded Willock that they wanted him to stay when 10,000 supporters returned to St James' for the 1-0 win against Sheffield United on Wednesday.
While Willock stopped short of 'promising anything', the midfielder said 'hopefully there's more to come in the future' after the game.
Whatever happens, Willock will look back on his spell on Tyneside with great fondness and the 21-year-old has become the youngest player in Premier League history to score in six successive games.
Willock will hope to maintain his hot streak and equal Shearer's club record of seven in seven when the Magpies travel to Fulham on the last day of the season on Sunday.
Even if Willock equals that record, Match of the Day host Gary Lineker suggested it was 'unlikely' that the youngster would be at Newcastle next season to break it because Arsenal 'might look at this and think they want to keep him' - but Shearer had the perfect quip in response.
"Well, he might want to play for a big club so he might want to stay at Newcastle," Shearer said. "I'm joking Arsenal fans! I'm joking!"
We want to hear your thoughts on this story, so log in and leave your comment below
