Perez hopes to play his part with goals
Ayoze Perez is hoping to be worth his weight in goals for Newcastle United in the Premier League.
The club didn’t sign the extra forward that Rafa Benitez felt he needed before last week’s transfer deadline.
Benitez will be also without suspended striker Aleksandar Mitrovic for the next three games.
United’s manager will play either Joselu or Dwight Gayle up front against Swansea City on Sunday.
Perez – who has scored 13 goals in English football’s top flight – hopes to keep his place at the Liberty Stadium, having started the club’s three opening league games.
The 24-year-old, who netted nine Championship goals last season, isn’t setting himself a goals target for this season.
But Perez, used as a No 10 by Benitez, is putting pressure on himself to make a contribution up front.
“I don’t like to have a target,” said Perez. “I always try to get better and improve myself and give my best for the team. My job is to score goals, so hopefully I can score as many as I can.”
Newcastle’s “commitment, work ethic and togetherness” saw them win the Championship in dramatic fashion last season.
And Perez feels those qualities will take the club a long way in the Premier League.
“That’s going to be key,” said Perez. “It’s going to be very important – that commitment, work ethic and togetherness. With that, we’re going to be stronger. We have to work in that way and do the best that we can.”
Perez feels Benitez’s players can do “great things” if they stick together.
“Working in the way we have to work, we can do great things working as a team,” said the former Spain U21 international. “Mentally, we have to be ready. There’s a great level in the Premier League.”