Newcastle United prepared for their pre-season tour of Japan with a win much closer to home on Saturday.
Eddie Howe saw his side beat Championship side Hull City 2-0 on Humberside thanks to goals from Alexander Isak and Jacob Murphy.
Such were the lack of options Newcastle had available due to players recovering from international excursions, injuries and a lack of first-team ready new signings, Howe was forced to mix things up somewhat.
Indeed, Lewis Hall operated in a midfield role for the first real time since leaving Chelsea, while a host of youngsters were also involved.
Jamie Miley was one of those and Howe was full of praise for the 20-year-old.
Eddie Howe says Newcastle midfielder Jamie Miley should be pleased with himself right now
The Newcastle academy hasn’t always been the most productive over the years, though Miley’s brother Lewis was a star to have emerged from it last season of course.
Asked about Miley’s performance, Howe told the club’s official website: “Very good.
“I mean, Jamie’s got very similar qualities to Lewy, of course, his brother. He’s very composed on the ball, he’s very composed for his age.
“He’s trustworthy on the pitch. I thought he delivered a really good performance. I think he should be pleased with himself.”
Jamie Miley could be getting a new manager soon
With the younger Miley, Joe Willock, Sean Longstaff (another academy graduate) and Bruno Guimaraes to return at some point, it seems unlikely Jamie will get too much more involvement at senior level, barring another injury crisis.
In fact, sporting director Paul Mitchell is believed to think the midfield already has enough depth, so new signings there aren’t overly important.
With that in mind, it seems the older of the Miley brothers will most likely continue in the club’s U21 squad, who have recently lost manager Ben Dawson to Leicester’s coaching staff.
Interestingly, former Newcastle player and coach Lee Clark is reportedly keen to take over that job, having been out of work in the dugout since 2022.
It was promising to see Miley impress but a first-team run looks unlikely.
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