St. James’ Park witnessed a thrilling glimpse into the future on Sunday afternoon as 22-year-old Danish striker Will Osula bagged a brilliant brace to hand Newcastle United a commanding 3-1 victory over a fading West Ham United side.
But while the Toon Army celebrated the emergence of a red-hot new focal point for Eddie Howe’s attack, Sky Sports pundit Roy Keane was left thoroughly unimpressed.
Never one to tolerate modern footballing theatrics, the Manchester United legend launched a trademark, scathing post-match assessment targeting Osula’s flamboyant, pop-star-inspired goal celebration.
The Moonwalk That Enraged Keane
With Newcastle already leading 1-0 thanks to a landmark 50th-appearance opener from Nick Woltemade, Osula blew the game wide open. Latching onto a defence-splitting through ball from Jacob Ramsey, the young forward showed immense composure to slide the ball clean through the legs of West Ham goalkeeper Mads Hermansen.
What happened next divided the footballing world:
- The Tribute: Instead of a standard knee-slide, Osula wheeled away to the touchline, slipped a single white glove onto his hand, and busted out a series of highly synchronized Michael Jackson dance moves to celebrate doubling the lead.
- The Backlash: While social media immediately flooded with memes praising the humor and execution of the stunt, Keane looked visibly appalled in the television studio.
“It’s unbelievable, it’s ridiculous,” Roy Keane fumed live on Sky Sports. “I know we want young players to enjoy it and you scored a goal or whatever, but to do all that after a really poor season. It’s not a bad little move, don’t get me wrong! He can move, the kid, but time and a place. He can do that in a nightclub tonight in Newcastle.”
Keane’s frustration stems from Newcastle’s overall underwhelming campaign. Despite Sunday’s stylish win, the Magpies have suffered a frustrating, mid-table season completely starved of European football, making a pre-planned, pop-star routine feel far too arrogant for the pundit’s old-school tastes.
From Four-Choice to Fixed Point: Osula’s Incredible Rise
While Keane focused on the theatrics, Eddie Howe is focusing on a devastatingly effective goalscoring returns sheet.
Osula followed up his dancing routine by netting a clinical second goal later in the match, taking his personal tally to an incredible five goals in his last six Premier League appearances.
It represents a staggering rise up the Tyneside pecking order. At the start of the year, Osula was languishing as a definitive fourth-choice option behind Nick Woltemade, Yoane Wissa, and Anthony Gordon. Through sheer performance and clinical efficiency, the young Dane will finish the 2025/26 campaign as Newcastle’s undisputed, starting number nine.
Howe Defends His “Unique” Number Nine
Speaking after the match, manager Eddie Howe was quick to laugh off the celebration, jumping to defend the contagious energy and unique personality traits his young talisman brings to the training ground.
”I think Will, just firstly as a character, he is very, very unique,” Howe smiled in his post-match press conference. “He’s a good mover, you can see that when he scores. He’s got a real character about him. He loves life. He loves football. That energy is sort of endless with him.”
However, Howe did echo a tiny fraction of Keane’s warning regarding the immense psychological weight that comes with leading the line for Newcastle United.
”For us, sometimes it’s getting him to really focus on the details and the job that he needs to do because the responsibility of being Newcastle number nine is big,” Howe added. “I think there’s rough edges to smoothing off, but he does have a great product and we really do appreciate his skills.”
The Pundit Takeaway: Roy Keane’s job is to demand absolute steel, and he hates seeing mid-table players act like they’ve won the league. But given Osula’s five goals in six games, Newcastle fans will happily let him moonwalk every week if it keeps them winning.
