10 August 2023 , 21:00
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England keeper Nick Pope battled through the pain barrier with five finger dislocations last season.
The Newcastle United stopper conceded the fewest goals in the Premier League as the Toon finished fourth, but has outlined the agony he went through, before an op to cure the problem this summer. A rocket penalty kick from team-mate Matt Targett in training did the first damage, and over five months, as United qualified for the Champions League and conceded just 33 goals, it happened half a dozen times.
Pope is now fully fit and ready to face Aston Villa on Saturday, after an op in May, and said: “The finger that kept dislocating too easily, which is not ideal for a goalkeeper! I had to get it stabilised. I had a kind of anchor put in it, and then got it taped up with some cotton wool.
“There was one at the World Cup, one in September and a couple around games after that and against Bournemouth. Every time it dislocated, the joint was getting weaker. I wasn’t pushing it back in – I left that to the doctor! I didn’t really want to look at it to be honest. It would happen, then I would glance down at my hand and then look away.
“When it came out, the first time was probably the worst in terms of the pain, then it kind of eases off, which is a good thing pain wise, but probably not a good thing for your health. I give credit to Matt Targett – he was the first to make it dislocate in training. It was a penalty that he was obviously never going to take, so I wasn’t best pleased after that!”
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Last season Pope was part of a now iconic picture among Toon fans of the back five hugging after a win. “They made it into a flag!” Pope said. “It was a lovely moment. We were brand new last season as a back five, so to strike up a relationship pretty quickly was really beneficial for us and worked out really well. I really enjoyed playing with them, and they looked after me well, so I’m happy.”
Nick Pope is back to his best after surgery (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images for Premier League)Pope is expecting a tough season as Newcastle become a target for the elite, and juggle European football before Christmas. He added: “There’ll be ups and downs for sure, that’s a given, but there’s a lot of excitement like there was last year. There’s a lot of momentum with the way the season ended, and there’s a good buzz around the city, which we had last year.
“Excitement would be the overriding feeling in the squad, with the opportunity we’ve got. We’ve got new players in the building as well, and then there’s obviously a Champions League season to look forward to.
“It hasn’t been a case of turning everything upside down this summer, and I think that’s what everyone within the squad would want. We’re a really tight knit group.
“We had 12 days in the USA and it’s a pleasure and a joy to go away, just because of the people and the characters in the group. There’s not a moment where you’re stuck in your room thinking you’re bored or you wish you were back home because the group is so good.”
Pope is part of the Prime Video documentary following Newcastle last season and he said: “I’ve seen some of the previews, with the gaffer swearing and not really setting a good example! That was quite funny.
“I’ve watched bits of a couple of the previous ones – the Tottenham one probably stands out – but to be honest, I’ve not really watched any of them the whole way through. Hopefully, I’ll get on better with this one…”