Newcastle United are expected to splash the cash this summer, but Eddie Howe believes he already has a player who could save the Magpies an absolute fortune.
On his 17th birthday, Lewis Miley signed his first ever professional contract with Newcastle United. He posed for pictures with Howe, who believes that the teenager has the potential to develop into a Premier League star.
The club have really high hopes for Miley behind the scenes, believing that the midfielder has a genuine chance of playing for the first-team in the coming years.
He already has some senior experience. Miley often trains with the rest of Howe’s squad, and has been seen preparing for this weekend’s Premier League clash with Arsenal. He has also played in first-team friendlies for Newcastle, appearing off the bench against Al-Hilal and Rayo Vallecano last year.
The hope is that Miley continues to develop and becomes good enough to wear black and white in the Premier League. Everyone loves to see a local lad rise through the ranks, while it can also save the club a huge amount of money.
Eddie Howe thinks Lewis Miley has an ‘amazing chance’ at Newcastle
Ahead of the game against Arsenal, Howe spoke to the media. He was asked about Miley signing a new contract with Newcastle United.
“I’m in a difficult position because I can only promote players through the Academy that I feel are good enough to play in the Premier League and that’s such a difficult journey to go on,” he said.
“Lewis has got an amazing chance to do that. At his age, he’s got all the attributes and now he needs a little bit of luck and to continue on the path he’s on with the great work he’s already done.
“I’d love there to be a few more. It’ll save us a fortune in the transfer market if we can produce more on a consistent basis.”
Hopefully we see him make his competitive Newcastle debut soon
Howe has high hopes for Miley, and is eager to see more players like him rise through the ranks. We have already seen Howe ease Elliot Anderson into the first-team, and he has shown real signs of promise during his limited Premier League appearances so far.
Newcastle will want to make better use of their academy in the coming years, which is why it is great to see Miley sign a new contract and receive such high praise from Howe.
The teenage midfielder has trained with the first-team a lot this season, and was even on the bench for the draw with Bournemouth earlier this year. It would be great if he could make his competitive debut this season, giving him a taste of what could become a regular occurrence later in his career.
Newcastle have a star on their hands in Miley, and it is up to Howe and the rest of the staff to nurture him. If they do, it will save the club millions.
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