Newcastle have high hopes for 19-year-old who Tottenham released last year

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Newcastle United’s squad is down to the bare bones right now, which could force Eddie Howe to turn to some of his academy players.

Howe already had to do that at the weekend, with various youngsters involved in Newcastle’s 2-0 defeat to Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium.

Lewis Miley was given his first ever Premier League start at the age of 17, while there was also a competitive debut for 18-year-old forward Ben Parkinson. Elsewhere, the likes of Alex Murphy and Amadou Diallo were named on the bench.

That just shows how stretched Newcastle‘s squad is right now, and those problems are set to continue plaguing Howe after the international break.

The Magpies’ first game back is against Chelsea on November 25th, in a fixture where Newcastle will not have a left-back. Both Dan Burn and Matt Targett are out injured, while Lewis Hall is ineligible to play against his parent club.

That leaves Paul Dummett, who is now considered as a centre-back by Eddie Howe. It will likely result in either Kieran Trippier or Tino Livramento playing on that side.

But it could also lead to a callup for 19-year-old defender Jordan Hackett, who is turning heads behind the scenes at St James’ Park.

Newcastle really rate teenager Jordan Hackett

According to the Athletic, Jordan Hackett is highly rated at Newcastle United, despite not being involved at all at senior level so far.

He joined the club last summer, arriving on a free after being released by Tottenham Hotspur. Hackett impressed during a trial with the club, which led to him earning a contract with the Magpies.

Following his arrival, he spoke about wanting to work with Eddie Howe and that being a big factor in his decision to sign for Newcastle.

Hopefully Hackett gets the chance to work more closely with Howe in the coming years, as he looks to make the step from the academy to the first-team.

Injuries could give him the chance to do that very soon, as Newcastle’s defensive options are severely limited ahead of the Premier League clash with Chelsea later this month.