Alan Shearer has been hugely impressed by Newcastle United midfielder Lewis Miley after some brilliant performances against Man United, PSG and Chelsea.
Miley is just 17-years-old and yet has slotted into Newcastle’s midfield in the last three games like he has always belonged there.
Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer spoke about Miley on The Rest Is Football podcast and were blown away by how comfortable and confident he looked in Newcastle’s team against Man United.
Newcastle finally have a young star on their hands
In recent years, Newcastle have struggled to develop young, local talent through their academy and into the first team with Sean Longstaff being the only standout player who has made the leap.
For a region that has produced the likes of Alan Shearer, Paul Gascoigne and Chris Waddle, there’s been a significant lack of top players emerging in the last two decades.
The previous regime had neglected the training ground for the first team let alone the academy, so it will be really good for Eddie Howe to see some young talent finally breaking through and challenging some of the stars in the team.
It’s still very early on in Miley’s footballing career and a long way to go with his development, but technically and mentally the young Newcastle man has already shown signs of being a top midfielder against Man United, PSG and Chelsea.
On the podcast, Lineker said: “We have got another player in midfield who is four years younger than Tino Livramento, what a performance from him as well. Lewis Miley looks so confident, so comfortable on the ball, his pressing, I was incredibly impressed by his stamina throughout the game, he kept going. What a performance.”
Shearer then added: “17-years-old and in the last seven days he’s had Chelsea, PSG in the Champions League and then Manchester United. He must think he is in dreamland.
“He just looks natural, he looks very comfortable. Other than looking at his baby looks, if you didn’t know who or what he was you would think he has been around for years, the way he was strutting around the pitch and closing down and the balance he had on the ball.
“I thought it was another huge performance from him. And again the future looks great for him.”
Miley may solve Newcastle’s midfield problems
Newcastle are on the hunt for a new midfielder in January after losing Sandro Tonali to a 10-month suspension, but the emergence of Miley in recent months has certainly given Howe a lot to think about.
It’s very likely that a new man will be brought in to help out with depth at Newcastle after the recent injury crisis, but it would be very harsh to push Miley all the way down the pecking order after his display against Man United.
When Longstaff and Joe Willock do return to the team, they’ll have a lot of work to do to prove they’re still ahead of Miley who has been a brilliant replacement.
The teenager may not get as many minutes as he currently is, but the experience of being in and around the first team, especially in the Champions League, will be absolutely invaluable to him in the future as he continues to develop.
Receive a digest of our best Newcastle content each week direct to your mailbox
