Newcastle United want more players to come through the club’s academy, and the next big prospect appears to be Lewis Miley.
The 16-year-old is yet to make his senior debut for Newcastle, but Miley is already making a huge impression at youth level and has been in and around Eddie Howe’s first-team.
The midfielder travelled to Saudi Arabia with the Magpies during the World Cup break, coming off the bench in the friendly win over Al-Hilal. He also featured in the mid-season game against Rayo Vallecano just before Christmas.
On top of that, he has also been on the bench in the Premier League. Miley was an unused substitute in the 1-1 draw with Bournemouth back in February.
The club have high hopes for the teenager, and a new report from the Athletic has shed some light on how Newcastle currently view Miley behind the scenes.
Belief that Lewis Miley can play for Newcastle first-team
According to the Athletic, Newcastle genuinely believe that Miley has a chance of becoming a first-team player in the future. That would be brilliant, as it would mean another local lad donning the famous black and white stripes.
Eddie Howe has a few academy graduates in his squad at the moment, with Paul Dummett, Sean Longstaff and Elliot Anderson all featuring this season. And it is the latter who Miley has drawn comparisons to in the Athletic.
They report that because Miley is capable of operating in multiple positions, the club are being very careful with his development to ensure he does not lose his flexibility. The Athletic state that Newcastle took a similar approach with Anderson, who can play out wide or as a centre midfielder.
He has been given chances in the Premier League this season by Howe, and looks like a future star. The hope will be that Miley can follow the same path, and he is already being talked up as a future first-teamer at the age of 16.
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