Joining Magpies means I can enjoy my football again

Chief Sports Writer MIKEL Merino says he no longer felt like a footballer during his unhappy spell with Borussia Dortmund.

The 21-year-old had arrived at Dortmund’s 81,000 capacity Signal Iduna Park with high hopes of putting in fine performances in front of the Yellow Wall after joining from Osasuna.

However, then highly-rated head coach Thomas Tuchel did not show much faith in Merino and restricted him to a handful of appearances, meaning the move turned sour.

Merino said: “It depends on the confidence you have and the confidence people have in you.

“It also depends on you and your capabilities.

“If they think you are not good enough then you will not play.

“In Dortmund, I did not have the confidence of the coach.

“Here, I think they all trust me and my abilities. That is the main reason things are different because I am not a different player.

“I am the same player as I was last year. The only difference now is I am playing regularly and I am doing it my way.”

However, Merino resisted the temptation to take a parting shot at the former European Cup winners.

He added: “I still look back on my time there with good memories, always.

“During the year there were both good memories and bad ones but it is always good to learn.

“I look back on the last year and think I took a lot out of it.

“It is always a good process to go through and it helped me become the person and the player I am today - and I am pleased to have lived that year.” However, he also recalled the tough side of his time in Dortmund and when asked if he no longer felt like a player he said: “That is right, that is how it felt. “It is hard when you are not playing and do not have the confidence of those around you. “It is hard because you think you deserve it and that you could improve the team and do good things. “Yet it feels like you are the only person who thinks that way, so you have to have a strong mentality and keep training and working. “Sometimes you are feeling bad and you have to be around people you love and who love you and can help you to go forward.” Love, though, is not in short supply around Newcastle for the schemer. Speaking with a smile, he added: “In Dortmund, I could walk down the street and no one would recognise me.

“That is normal because when you are not playing people do not know who you are, especially at a club like Dortmund where they have huge players with huge names known all around the world.

“Here it feels very different and very good.

“Especially when a supporter comes up to you and says, ‘Ooh, you are a good player, nice to meet you.’

“That makes you good.”

Merino even offered assurances he was not using Newcastle as a stepping-stone to a bigger club, saying: “I am going to be here for a long time, just enjoying this club and this team.” feel