Stefan relishing 'fresh start' at St. James' Park

The 20-year-old has linked up with the Magpies Under-23s squad after leaving Arsenal – where he played alongside United midfielder Isaac Hayden – at the end of last season.

And O’Connor, whose young career has already encompassed a Champions League outing for the Gunners as well as loan spells with York City and MVV Maastricht, is eager to begin a new chapter at St. James’ Park – where he hopes to emulate his old teammate Hayden.

“It’s a fresh start for me. Newcastle is a lot different to London, but they’re both nice cities and I’m looking forward to making this my new home,” he told nufc.co.uk.

“I know it’s a massive club, without a doubt. I’ve grown up watching Match of the Day and Premier League Years, and I’ve always seen Newcastle on there and their fans are great. It’s a massive club.

“I’m very happy. I’m very happy with the fresh start, to try and make some new fans happy and hopefully help the club do well in the Premier League and help the Under-23s get promoted to the top league.

“I’ve been playing against a few of the players here for years, but I didn’t really know any one person. As long as I can play, I’ll just be very happy to help whatever team I can really.”

Powerful centre back O’Connor, who can also play full back, came through the ranks at the Emirates Stadium with England Under-21 international Hayden, who has impressed on Tyneside since arriving from Arsenal last summer.

“I played with Isaac from when I was 16 to 18. He’s a top player,” said the London-born stopper. “Even when he left I was shocked, but he’s come here and made a great career for himself so far.

“I haven’t spoken to him, but I’ll catch up with him soon when I see him. I just look at his journey and think, you know what, hats off to him. Hopefully I can follow in his footsteps.

“He’s a very good player, and it’s a great thing that he’s done. Hopefully I can do that, if I’m given a chance.”

O’Connor’s big move north brings his seven-year stint with the Gunners to an end. During that time, he made a solitary first team appearance for Arsene Wenger’s side – though that came in the boisterous, intimidating surroundings of the Turk Telekom Stadium, where a teenage O’Connor made his bow.

“That was crazy. I was just a kid – I was 17 – playing football with no fear. One day I came into training and one of the players said to me ‘you’re on the bench tomorrow’. As a 17-year-old I was kind of like ‘oh yeah?’, but it came true,” he said of his senior debut, which came as a second-half substitute in a Champions League tie away at Galatasaray.

“I was warming up, and then Steve Bould was waving his finger. You know when you look behind you like there’s someone else behind you? It was like that. But it was me, and I came on for the last 15 minutes, playing at right back.

“It was crazy – the fans, the atmosphere, playing on the same pitch as Wesley Sneijder. I remember watching him and him being on FIFA for years. It was crazy, but a wonderful experience.

“I’d only finished school the year before that, so I went from doing my GCSEs to playing in the Champions League against Galatasaray.”

Following a pair of loan spells at York and in the Dutch second tier with Maastricht (“it was still good experience to be around the first team every day, play in a different country and live by myself, which helped in making this decision to come to Newcastle”), O’Connor felt the time was right to seek a new challenge.

“I was there from when I was 13. I was at Crystal Palace before that and then went to Arsenal. That was a great seven years, I learned so much, they blessed me with so much,” he said.

“But then I kind of felt I needed the next step. Obviously Arsenal is such a big club, and it’s hard to make that step into the first team because they’ve got so much ability and talent. I kind of felt it would be a good time get away for something new.”

And he is no stranger to his new home. O’Connor has played at St. James’ before, with his last appearance – where he came up against many of his new teammates, including Dan Barlaser, Callum Williams and Curtis Good – ending in a last-gasp victory for the Gunners.

“Last time I played there when I was at Arsenal we won 2-1 – we won it in the last minute, it was a great game and there were a lot of fans there,” he recalled.

“I went for a tour round it when I signed and it’s really nice. I was just standing there in the dugout just looking around imagining 50,000 fans there and just thinking, you know what, I need some of this in my life. Just to walk out in front of 50,000 fans would be crazy.”

O’Connor joins a Magpies Under-23 team who narrowly missed out on promotion from Premier League 2 Division Two last term, losing to West Ham United in the play-off final in May.

Now he’s hoping to help Peter Beardsley and Ben Dawson’s side go one step further this year – and is also harbouring first team aspirations, as he begins his first pre-season with the club.

“I just want to play regularly in the 23s and perform week-in, week-out,” he said. “Hopefully I can get a run out in the League Cup or the FA Cup, but I need to get playing again. I’ve had a few injuries, so I just need to play week-in, week-out and get my fitness and match prep up.

“It’s a very good team, so hopefully I can add some quality and help us get promoted. We were close enough last year, so this year should be the year it happens.”