Newcastle United wonderkid says Eddie Howe has given him so much more ‘confidence’

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Eddie Howe was not shy about giving his Newcastle United youngsters opportunities in pre-season.

Toon fans witnessed the emergence of Park Seung-soo, with the South Korean teenager even earning a place on Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United bench for the opening Premier League game of the season.

Elsewhere, Alex Murphy and Travis Hernes featured regularly. The latter has since gone out on loan, with Hernes joining Groningen on a deal that could become permanent next summer.

The Newcastle United manager also gave minutes to Sean Neave, the teenage striker who has a Carabao Cup winner’s medal but is yet to make his competitive debut for the club.

Neave did feature in friendly action over the summer, and has admitted it is a key reason why he has started the new campaign so well at youth level.

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Sean Neave feeling confident after Newcastle United first-team bow

The 18-year-old has scored four goals in five Under-21 appearances this season, and will hope to continue his impressive form in the UEFA Youth League against Barcelona on Thursday.

Ahead of playing for the Newcastle United Under-19s against Barca, Neave has spoken to the club’s official website. He is happy with how he has started the 2025/26 season, admitting that his first-team exposure has given him a real confidence boost.

“I’ve been really pleased with the way I’ve started this season,” he said.

“I wanted to get a good start and see what happens from there, especially after playing for the first-team in pre-season.

“I feel my first-team debut has given me a lot of confidence coming into a new season with the under-21s, scoring four goals and getting some assists too. Hopefully, I can carry that on throughout the season.”

Who will Newcastle United play against in the UEFA Youth League?

With the Newcastle United first-team taking part in the 2025/26 Champions League, the Magpies’ youth side are involved in the UEFA Youth League.

It is an Under-19s competition, with the Newcastle United academy stars set to play in a league just like the senior side. However, they will only play six times as opposed to eight.

First up is Barcelona at home on Thursday, with the opening match set for 3pm at Whitley Park.

After that, Newcastle United Under-19s face Union Saint-Gilloise, Benfica, Athletic Club, Marseille and Bayer Leverkusen.

If the Magpies finish in the top 22 of the 36-team league, they will advance to the knockout stage of the competition, which commences in February 2026.