Rodrigo Vilca scores first Newcastle goal since 2020 in front of Eddie Howe

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Rodrigo Vilca is Newcastle United’s forgotten man, but he scored his second ever goal for the Toon Under-21s on Monday afternoon.

Newcastle were beaten 5-2 by West Brom in Premier League 2 action, on what was another disappointing day for Ben Dawson’s side. But it was delight for Vilca, who has failed to make a major impression since joining the club in 2020.

The 23-year-old signed for Newcastle more than two years ago ahead of Steve Bruce’s second season in charge. He was brought in with an eye towards the future, but there was genuine excitement surrounding the Peruvian’s arrival.

However, his time on Tyneside has been a bit of a disaster.

Rodrigo Vilca’s Newcastle transfer has not gone to plan

The attacking midfielder joined Newcastle in 2020 from Deportivo Municipal for £225,000. He signed a four-year deal, meaning he could still be a Magpie until 2024.

He made his debut for the youth side just a couple of weeks after arriving, then scored his first goal in December. The young Magpies beat Stoke 3-2 on December 11th 2020, with Vilca scoring one and creating another.

It was a great day for him, but sadly it never really got any better in a black and white shirt.

Vilca went on loan to Doncaster Rovers, which looked like a good move. It would allow him to settle into the rigours of English football by playing senior football in League One. He was called ‘quality‘ for Richie Wellens, and his time at the Keepmoat Stadium ended with four goal contributions in 13 appearances.

The South American was far from a hit though, and has since been back to Peru for a loan spell with Universitario de Deportes.

Vilca scored in front of Eddie Howe

But he is back on Tyneside now, and scored his first goal since December 2020 on Monday afternoon. Vilca netted what was effectively a consolation goal in a 5-2 defeat to West Brom, scoring a header from Nathan Carlyon’s first half corner.

Vilca will be delighted to be back on the scoresheet for Newcastle, and he did it in front of first-team manager Eddie Howe. He was in attendance at Little Benton Academy to see the youngsters in action, with Dawson’s side including Lewis Miley, who has been on the fringes of the first-team.

While scoring in front of the manager is always a good thing, Vilca will be incredibly lucky if he ever plays for the Newcastle United first team. For many, it is probably a shock to find out that he still plays for the club.