Papiss Cisse gives emotional interview – I have the black and white in my heart | OneFootball

Papiss Cisse scored 44 goals in 100 starts (plus 31 appearances off the bench) for Newcastle United.

The striker arriving in February 2012 and spending four and a half years on Tyneside.

Whilst he remained a popular figure at Newcastle United in his time at St James’ Park, it will always be the first three and a half months that fans will never forget.

Papiss Cisse came off the bench in his first ever appearance and hit a screamer against Villa, then never looked back. The striker scoring 13 Premier League goals in 13 starts and that one sub appearance.

The thing was as well, pretty much every one of those 13 goals were absolute stunners, Papiss Cisse saving the very best to last that season.

At Stamford Bridge scoring an exquisite left foot volley, only to then hit that goal of the season from the touchline, that Cech never had a hope of ever saving.

Papiss Cisse now talking about his football career and personal life in an emotional interview.

Papiss Cisse on Starting Out

“Being an ambulance driver was my first job in my career, because I worked in a hospital. I did a lot of collections for the sick, if women are pregnant so they don’t lose their babies. Sometimes I’d have to drive two or three hours just to get someone to the good hospital.

“But on the other side, my big brother was telling me that I had to go and play football, because you can help your community this way. Somebody can be an ambulance driver like you, we can find another driver like you, but we can’t find a lot of players like you.”

Papiss Cisse On His Best Friend

“My best friend I always say, I look at him when I go home, he’s getting old now, but this is my man – my Dad. Because I saw what he had to do to provide us with food. He’s the a great Dad; the best. He’s a strong guy. Every time I see him I think this is my man, he’s shown me the way on how to be strong, how to manage my life, to work and work hard.

“When I signed professionally, I knew I had to look after him until the end of my career. I said to him, ‘Stop working! Everything you need, I’m going to provide it to you for free’, because he deserves it, you and mum, sister and brother at home.”

Papiss Cisse On Seeing Snow for the First Time

“When I came from Africa and arrived in France, I didn’t know anybody. Even before I came, I was saying ‘I’m worried’. When I arrived, the first thing I saw and I hadn’t seen it all my life in Africa, was snow! Oh My God! I said to my agent when I arrived in Luxembourg, ‘I’m gonna go back. I’ve got to go back home, it’s too cold’.

“After that I arrived at the academy in FCM (Metz) and everything was hard and trying to adapt to the football was very hard, because it’s not the same style of football. I had to jump then to becoming a European footballer, but in my mind I said I am here, I have to do this, because I knew what was happening behind me back at home, and I had to help my family.”

“So I went to the capital Dakar, then to France, then to Germany and after Freiburg I found myself in Newcastle – and this is my team, Newcastle United.

Issue 269 – 2 June 2012

“I still love this team because when I arrived, the fans, the club – it was amazing. The people helped me in every way.

“You could see it in my first 6 months, because I felt very good and you could see it in how I was playing.

“In the dressing room, the fans inside the stadium, how they helped me to score 13 goals in 14 games.

“I always want to say thank you to the Newcastle fans, to the Geordie people!

Issue 278 – 13 April 2013

“I’d never supported a team all my life, but when I arrived at Newcastle, I have them in my heart.

“I have the black and white in my heart.”

Papiss Cisse On Cheick Tioté

“Tiote was a part of me.

“We had a holiday for one week and I said I was going to come back at see him. I didn’t see him for a few days as it was Ramadan and we had to go fasting and I said I’ll come back in four days because I miss speaking with you and seeing you.

“When I went back to my city, I was going to eat at a restaurant with a friend and my driver, and something strange came in with my driver. He checked his phone and I looked at him and straight away I didn’t feel good. I said ‘John, what’s going on? Tell me what’s going on because the way you’re looking at me, I don’t feel good’

“He said Tiote was training, and that he fell down. When the helicopter arrived at the pitch, but before the helicopter managed to take him to the hospital he had already passed away really. It was very, very hard for me, but I have to think of his family. His kids were so young, his wife was pregnant. That’s more difficult. Because he was family to me, he was in my family, he was my brother not my friend.

“We had a lot of hard moments together in football, and even in wider life and we would speak about a lot of things together. We could tell each other everything. If we finished a job and I was doing something, he would tell me stop that. We always had that respect together. I just feel sorry for his wife and kids.

“I was so happy to have him as my friend. To have him in my life.”

Papiss Cisse on His Future

“Not everyone is as lucky like me, 37 and still running. I’m playing two games a week, running around all game and playing 90 minutes and still feeling good. I’m going to continue until my body says stop, but I can do at least two more years, inshallah.”

Papiss Cisse on his move to China, to build a mosque, a school and more for his hometown

“I chose to go to China because I wanted to help the people behind me. I had to sacrifice a bit of my career to be able to go and take that money. I did that to be able to build something, to help people in my country, because you have to help and give back because you know what’s going on there – not every day is beautiful there.

“I have a company there and people are working there and get a salary every month, I have an English school in Senegal, I’m building an academy to give jobs to people in my country not just my family and friends, but I want people in the country to participate and help develop the country.

“I said to my dad that I’m going to build a mosque, not for him but for Allah, to say thanks for everything that you have given me. Today, people are praying there. It’s not my mosque, it’s a mosque for Allah, because Allah gave me everything in my life, and I’m so happy. I’m happy. I have great kids, a beautiful wife and I honestly can’t complain and just always say thank you, Allah.”