Sven Botman lifts lid on dark times at Newcastle United amid injury troubles - 'never nice'The Dutchman recently signed a deal until 2030 and now that he is back from injury he does not feel new signings at the back are neededView 2 Images Sven Botman of Newcastle United (Image: 2026 Malcolm Couzens)Sven Botman admits that nights against PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League are what he dreamed about during a tough injury lay-off. Botman would love to get back to the form he displayed in his first season after arriving from Lille. That season Newcastle conceded a measly 33 goals and had one of the best defences in the league. With a smile, Botman said: "I think we had a great first season as a defence [in 2022/23]. Even when I came back from my ACL, I played a few games and then had another injury.

Source: The Times January 20, 2026 20:54 UTC