‘Don’t want to be disrespectful’ - Newcastle United star sends Sheffield United solidarity message after 8-0

Newcastle United star Callum Wilson has sent a message of encouragement to Sheffield United after the Blades received an 8-0 hiding from Eddie Howe's side on Sunday.

Under pressure Sheffield United manager Paul Heckingbottom saw his team suffer a worst-ever home defeat at the hands of the Magpies as eight separate scorers hit the back of the net in a nightmare afternoon for the Yorkshire club. The result left the Blades languishing at the bottom of the table.

Newcastle United leapt into an early lead with a 21st-minute Sean Longstaff goal before Dan Burn and Sven Botman, both unlikely sources of goals, made it so the visitors went in at half-time 3-0 down.

Heckinbottom needed a response from his under-the-cosh side but the fixture went from bad to worse in the second half as Callum Wilson, Anthony Gordon, Miguel Almiron, Bruno Guimaraes and Alexander Isak all plundered in goals to take the tally up to eight.

Speaking on the BBC Sounds' Footballers' Football Podcast, Newcastle United striker Wilson sent a message of solidarity to Sheffield United as they look to bounce back from the defeat. Wilson said: "I don't want to be disrespectful. As we've seen in history when Leicester did it to Southampton, you have one of those days where everything goes wrong for you, every pass gets misplaced. Everything we do falls into place.

"Some of the goals were good quality goals, it wasn't like they fell to pieces and just obliterated. They stayed in the game and didn't give up but when you're four or five up and attacking players are still coming on the pitch fresh wanting to score goals it's a recipe for disaster for any team on the receiving end because everyone wants to get in on the act and score. It could have been easy for us as a team to play possession football but, credit everyone, we went for the throat."

Sheffield United weren't in midweek Carabao Cup action, having already been knocked out by Lincoln City and need a result on their travels to West Ham this weekend to relieve pressure on Heckingbottom. The Blades return to Bramall Lane on October 21 for the visit of Manchester United.