Wade: Red Bull Have Made Newcastle a Different Animal. The World Is Their Oyster

Speaking exclusively with BOYLE Sports , Newcastle Red Bulls winger Christian Wade has revealed his excitement over the future of the club after extending his stay for another year.

The former England man has explained why Red Bull 's takeover has transformed the club, why this season is when they will start to take strides, and how the ambition is to be a top-four team within four years.

Wade has also given his verdict on England 's recent struggles following their heavy defeat to South Africa , and reflected on the current transition period in the national setup.

Contract and Future

What's the Future Looking Like For You?

I've extended for another year. We actually start pre-season next week. I'm still over here in the States, in Charlotte , North Carolina , but I'll be flying back this week and restarting on Monday .

Red Bull's Vision

How Excited Are You by Red Bull's Involvement?

I'm hugely excited, to be honest. It's great to be a part of the initial lift. I'm looking forward to the changes. Newcastle is a great historic club. They had some success in the early years, but just haven't really done much consistently, considering the amount of talent that comes out of there.

They probably haven't reached the potential that they know is available, so with Red Bull coming in, it just gives them that safety net. It's more than a safety net, really. The world is their oyster with what they can do.

This season coming now will be the year when we start to take strides. But all in all, I think that teams and people around the league were watching our games last year, and realising, okay, this is a different Newcastle . It's a testament to Red Bull that when they decide to invest in something, they're in for the long haul. There's no rush to create something right now, but over the next four years, they want to be a top-four team.

Is There a Genuine Sense of Excitement Now?

There was excitement last year as well, but the acquisition happened quite late, probably around June or July . There was no time to really plan for what was coming up. Steve Diamond , being quite a good businessman, was able to secure some players, like myself, to get some experience up there to piece together with the young players who have already been at Newcastle for a while.

But I think part of that transition meant making personnel changes in the staff, which rocked the boat a little bit. It turned into a bit of a holding season, really. We just needed to maintain what we had. But this coming season will be the year we start to take strides. Teams around the league were watching our games last year, thinking, okay, this is a different Newcastle . We didn't get a lot of wins, but the wins we did get were convincing.

This year, there are changes to the facility, our changing rooms, warm-up areas, a new pitch, and new stuff in the gym. Over the next three or four years, a completely new facility will be built, along with changes to the stadium to make the stands bigger. When Red Bull decides to invest in something, they're in it for the long haul. There's no rush, but over the next four years, they want to be a top team.

Across the Pond

What's the Reaction Been in America?

It's crazy. I'm in Charlotte , North Carolina , and it seems like people are watching the football, but you can tell they don't understand everything that's going on. Because it's a world event, they're into it. And obviously, we get a lot of South American and Latino representation around here. When those games are on, the Mexican restaurants and sports bars are packed. It has been pretty wild.

England Rugby

What's Your Assessment of England?

I saw some highlights from the South Africa vs England game. It's always a tough one for England because there's so much talent and so many players to choose from. But at the end of the day, I always feel like England will find their feet. We're not a nation that's going to be really bad for a whole season.

We're going through a transition period right now, figuring out who the new guys are to take the team forward. We're figuring out combinations as older guys like Elliot Daly , Maro Itoje , Jamie George , and Owen Farrell move on. There are guys holding their hands up right now, but they're still trying to figure out who will take it forward. So I don't read too much into it.

Did You Play Against Steve Borthwick?

I would have played against him in my early years. I think he retired around 2013, and I broke into the first team at 19 or 20. I remember playing Saracens when they were still at Vicarage Road .

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