Newcastle United's owners have made a concerted effort into improving all aspects of the club. None more so than the club's academy set-up, which is fair to say, has been lagging behind it's Premier League rivals in years gone by.
The Magpies have had very little to cheer about in terms of silverware at youth level or success in Premier League 2. Although trophies and silverware are not the be all and end all in youth football, they're a clear sign of the talents in your midst.
Sean Longstaff, Elliot Anderson and Lewis Miley are the three most recent academy graduates to enjoy success at senior level, while you have to go back to the likes of Andy Carroll and Paul Dummett before that. The Toon will be hoping their recent investment and recruitment drive at youth level will improve their changes of generating homegrown talent, with the latest batch of talents showing their quality.
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The need for homegrown talents will be vital when it comes to registering players in European competitions with one Newcastle youngster already in the mix. Goalkeeper Aidan Harris was on the bench for the Magpies' clash with AC Milan in the San Siro after Martin Dubravka was struck down with a bout of illness.
The 16-year-old was already in Northern Italy as part of Newcastle United's U19's UEFA fixture against Milan, but was called up to the senior side, warming up with Nick Pope and Loris Karius.
Harris has been part of the Magpies' academy set-up for a number of years, but signed scholarship forms last summer and has since impressed for Newcastle's Under-18s and Under-21s. Another of those scholars to sign terms at St. James' Park was Anthony Munda.
The England youth international was called up for Ryan Garry's England Under-18s side and has two assists in two games on international duty. He set-up the only goal of the game in the win over Morocco U18s, his whipped cross picked out Southampton's Samuel Amo-Ameyaw who tucked it away at the near post.
Two more fellow England internationals signed for the Magpies in the summer. Leo Shahar and Trevan Sanusi were both highly courted in recent months, but opted to move to St. James' Park to continue their development.
Newcastle have shown clear due diligence when it comes to their fresh wave of recruits after Shahar reaped praise from Wolves academy manager Jonathan Hunter-Barrett.
"What’s pleased me most is seeing how confident he is within himself and within his abilities to express himself on the pitch," he said last April.
“Leo’s the type of character that relies on clarity. Clarity breeds confidence in what’s expected and he always takes feedback, even critical feedback, and he always tries to apply it."
Sanusi, who was tracked by Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and others, represents another real coup for Newcastle's academy. The 16-year-old made the bench for Birmingham City's game against Sheffield United on the final day of last season and would have broken Jude Bellingham's Blues record if he'd made his debut.
Then Birmingham boss John Eustace called him a 'really exciting young attacking player' and he impressed for England's U17s in their 2-2 draw with Norway U17s.
