16 Things Newcastle Fans Need To Know About Georginio Wijnaldum

13. But Wijnaldum Never Wanted To Become A Footballer...

Although he is a Dutch international footballer, Wijnaldum never actually wanted to follow his current career path as a youngster. Instead, when he was growing up, Wijnaldum dreamed of becoming a gymnast or an acrobat. It was only after visiting a Sparta Rotterdam open day with his nephew that his love of the beautiful game began to develop. Wijnaldum was invited along to the club's academy, won two championship titles in his first two seasons, and then developed into an exceptional talent.