Jacquet compares St. James' Park roar to Marseille's Velodrome on Premier League debut

Jeremy Jacquet marked his Premier League debut with a composed display in Liverpool’s 2-2 draw at St. James’ Park on Sunday, before being replaced in the second half by loan signing Ronald Araujo — and the 21-year-old French centre-back left Tyneside with a vivid first impression of English football’s atmosphere.

Thrown into a fiercely contested match in front of 52,000 supporters, Jacquet drew an immediate comparison between Newcastle’s home and one of European football’s most intimidating venues. Speaking to Canal Plus after the final whistle, as quoted by Get French Football News, the defender likened the noise generated by the Geordie faithful to that of Olympique de Marseille’s Stade Velodrome — a ground widely regarded across the continent as an ear-splitting cauldron of hostility.

“The atmosphere? It wasn’t bad. It reminded me a bit of the Velodrome,” Jacquet said. “It’s an iconic stadium, fans shouting everywhere. That’s why I’m here. I like that.”

Jacquet only recently completed his move to Anfield following an impressive rise through the ranks in Ligue 1, and Sunday’s assignment represented an immediate test of his temperament at the highest level. The match itself was a breathless affair, with Liverpool and Newcastle trading goals across a frantic ninety minutes before sharing the spoils.

The young defender was eventually withdrawn for Araujo, the experienced Barcelona centre-back currently on loan at Liverpool, but not before leaving enough of an impression — and absorbing enough of the occasion — to suggest he is unlikely to be fazed by what English football throws at him next.