There is one thing that Newcastle United fans must not forget about Garang Kuol as he endures a second miserable loan spell away from Tyneside.
The teenager joined Newcastle United in January 2023 with a lot of hype surrounding him, having featured at the World Cup in Qatar for Australia. But the Magpies already had a deal agreed to sign Garang Kuol before then.
He was hyped as a typical Dan Ashworth signing, with Toon fans salivating as they were told about the forward’s potential.
But a loan move to Hearts did not really work out for Kuol, despite him saying that it was beneficial.
Loan spell two was expected to be much better for him, as he joined Eredivisie side Volendam. And after a bright start in orange, it has quickly turned into a nightmare.
Kuol barely gets a game for Volendam now, having been an unused substitute in nine of their last 12 Eredivisie games. Major changes behind the scenes have resulted in a change of system, which has led to Kuol no longer featuring.
It has turned into a disaster, and some Newcastle fans will be concerned about where the 19-year-old’s career is going as he struggles to live up to the hype.
Newcastle United coach still believes Garang Kuol can develop into a first-team player at St James’ Park
But now Peter Ramage has issued a message to Newcastle United supporters, reminding them that he is still incredibly young and that time is on his side.
Ramage, who is the Magpies’ assistant player loans manager, has been speaking to iNews about Kuol and his development.
“There’s been a lot of political struggles in the background but he’s [Kuol] learning a new style, a new culture in a top European league,” he said.
“He’s a great kid but he’s very young, he was probably thrust into the scene with that World Cup appearance in 2022 but we have to remember he’s 19-years-old and there’s not many that age playing regular football.
“There’s still plenty of time for him to develop and develop into – hopefully – a first-team footballer at Newcastle United.”
Time is on Kuol’s side at Newcastle United
It is easy to forget that Kuol is still only 19. He burst onto the scene at 17 years of age, with the whole world talking about him.
There was almost too much hype too soon. Not only is he still developing as a player, but he is also growing as a person – and a person who has moved thousands of miles away from home.
As Ramage says, there is still plenty of time for Kuol. He can still become a first-team player at Newcastle United, and that will be his goal.
But after two disappointing loan spells, the club have a very difficult decision to make regarding the Aussie teenager this summer.
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