‘It was great’: Newcastle 18-year-old blown away by what Eddie Howe said about him last week

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Eddie Howe is doing his best to build a Newcastle United team for the present and the future.

While he is working with major names such as Kieran Trippier, Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes, he is also helping the next generation at Newcastle.

Elliot Anderson has become a fully fledged first-team player, while Lewis Miley was incredible in pre-season. He did not look out of place at senior level despite being just 17-years-old. Elsewhere, Alex Murphy has received praise from the Newcastle manager.

Another young Newcastle player who is looking to rise through the ranks from youth level to Premier League is Ben Parkinson, and he was involved in the club’s pre-season preparations. In fact, he came agonizingly close to scoring in the 2-1 win over Brighton in New Jersey.

The 18-year-old actually trained with Howe and the first-team last week ahead of the Manchester City game, and was praised by the Toon boss for his performances over the summer during his pre-match press conference.

It is obviously great to be complimented by your manager, and Parkinson is absolutely delighted with what Howe said about him last week.

Ben Parkinson ‘really enjoyed’ what Eddie Howe said about him

Ahead of Newcastle Under-21s’ game against Reading, Parkinson spoke to the club’s official website. He discussed what Howe had said about him last week.

“My dad sent me a snippet of what he said in the press conference and it was a great feeling to hear him mention my name, especially when he wasn’t provoked to say something about me,” he said.

“It was a massive confidence boost and something I really enjoyed hearing.

“I feel I’ve had a good start to the season. I thought I did the best I could in pre-season and I’m glad that other people have the same opinion, especially the gaffer which means a lot.”

Howe doing his best for the Newcastle youth

Parkinson obviously loved getting praise from Howe, and it was even more special because it was unprovoked. He had not been asked a question specifically about the striker, yet he still took time to say some kind words.

We saw Howe do something similar earlier in the summer. During the trip to America, he made a point to lavish praise on Jamaal Lascelles and his role as captain. It was a classy moment from the boss.

For Parkinson, the confidence will be flowing after Howe’s words, and it will hopefully lead to him scoring more goals at youth level before potentially making his senior debut for the Magpies.