Bruce admits Newcastle record buy Joelinton is struggling to cope with £40m price-tag

STEVE BRUCE fears Joelinton is being weighed down by his £40million price tag and Newcastle’s No9 shirt.

The out-of-sorts striker hit the post at Rochdale but missed two other big chances and gave the ball away for the League One side’s equaliser.

Joelinton, 23, has now scored only one goal in 22 appearances since the Toon made him their club-record signing in the summer.

And Bruce admitted: “To play for Newcastle United is a heavy load – full stop.

“There is an expectation on you and it dawns on you very quickly. And when you are the No9 and the price-tag, then that bears on him.

“Until he goes and hits the back of the net, goes and wins a game for us again like he did at Spurs, then, unfortunately, the questions will keep being asked and it snowballs.

“But I will keep saying to him that he just has to keep going and hope it will drop for him and he sticks it away.

“He has to keep working at it and he is only a kid. He will learn from this, he will have to get on with it and keep trying. That’s all I can ask.

“Of course I believe in him – I pick him every week.”

Newcastle’s away fans chanted, ‘We’re f***ing s***”, shortly after 40-year-old Aaron Wilbraham levelled for Rochdale.

Bruce said: “I never heard that. I was concentrating.” But he added: “I understand their frustration, they expect us to go to Rochdale and win.

“It was a difficult afternoon in the end.

“But we are still in the hat and we have a replay to look forward to. We are still there.”