Eddie Howe refuses to say if ‘excellent’ player will start for Newcastle this season

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A new star has emerged at Newcastle United this summer, with Lewis Miley seriously turning heads with his performances in pre-season.

The midfielder made his senior debut in the final game of last season, and has continued to work with Eddie Howe and the first-team ahead of the new Premier League campaign.

Not only has he been with the first-team, but he has been one of the stars. Miley has been exceptional every time he has played, and really caught the eye when he started against Chelsea during the Premier League Summer Series.

Howe has already confirmed that the 17-year-old is not going to be loaned out, which is absolutely the right decision. He is too young to move away.

Instead, he will remain on Tyneside, where he will hope to add to his one senior appearance. That looks likely to happen, with Howe reportedly planning on using Miley off the bench during the 2023/24 campaign.

However, the Toon boss is reluctant to say whether or not the ‘excellent‘ teenager will be starting games in black and white.

Eddie Howe thinks Lewis Miley ‘possibly’ could start for Newcastle this season

Ahead of this weekend’s Sela Cup, Howe spoke to the media. He was asked about the possibility of Miley starting for Newcastle during the upcoming season.

“I’m reluctant to put too much pressure on him and build him up more than you guys [the media] probably will,” he said.

“It’s my job to protect him.

“Possibly, but I don’t necessarily see that as an expectation for me to deliver.”

Howe is right to be cautious with Toon teen

Howe is taking the correct approach when it comes to Miley. The hype is very much real, and it is obvious that Newcastle have a special player in their ranks.

But it is easy to get carried away. The lad is only 17. He can’t even legally buy a pint yet, and there is talk of him starting games for a Champions League club.

It would be unwise for Howe to say that Miley is going to start this season. It would put him under unnecessary pressure, which is not what he needs at this formative stage of his career.

What he does need is a strong support network, and he is getting that with Howe, who has vowed to protect him.

If, or when, the time is right, Miley will play this season. And it will be on merit, not because of his age.

But the fans and the media must not go over the top with their expectations. He is still growing as a footballer, and Howe is going to very careful when it comes to managing Miley’s development.