Newcastle United look set to include various academy players during their pre-season preparations, as work towards the 2025/26 campaign began on Monday.
Eddie Howe and a large chunk of his Newcastle United squad are back at the training ground, with those who have been away on international duty given a longer break. Despite that, Will Osula has already reported for training after representing Denmark at the European Under-21 Championship.
The 21-year-old is back on Tyneside alongside first-team stars such as Joelinton, Sven Botman and Kieran Trippier, while the Magpies are also using pre-season as a chance to look at some players from the academy.
In a video shared on Newcastle United’s official Instagram account, seven academy products have been spotted alongside the rest of the first-team. Geordie Boot Boys have picked out those seven players, and it will be interesting to see how prominently they feature when the Magpies’ friendly schedule kicks off.
Sean Neave
Sean Neave has a Carabao Cup winner’s medal and was part of the trophy parade, but has not made his senior Newcastle United debut.
The 18-year-old was on the bench multiple times last season, including at Wembley, but did not get the chance to feature for the first-team.
Howe is expected to give Neave a chance in pre-season, and he will be keeping a close eye on the Magpies’ striker situation. Newcastle want to sign a new forward, with a fresh face set to limit his opportunities at St James’ Park.
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Leo Shahar
Arriving from Wolves in 2023, Leo Shahar has a lot of potential. He is another 18-year-old who is on the cusp of making his senior Newcastle United debut.
Shahar was on the bench in the Premier League last season, with the defender an unused substitute for a Premier League win over Brentford in April.
The right-back will surely feature in pre-season, and he is a player who Toon fans should expect to see a lot of in the years to come. Lewis Hall’s fitness could create an opening for Shahar, so it might not be long until supporters see him in action.
Trevan Sanusi
The star of Newcastle United’s pre-season in 2024 was Trevan Sanusi. He was with the senior side 12 months ago and made a serious impression.
Sanusi is a ‘unique’ player, and proved as much with his bravery and trickery. There is a reason why he has been compared to Allan Saint-Maximin, with Howe eager for Sanusi to improve his end product.
He made his professional debut in last season’s FA Cup, coming on as a substitute during the third round win over Bromley.
Trevan Sanusi runs with the ball during Newcastle United's FA Cup game against Bromley.
Photo by Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images
Travis Hernes
After a loan spell in Denmark with Aalborg BK, Travis Hernes is back on Tyneside.
The 18-year-old centre-midfielder is yet to make his Toon debut, but has been on the bench during the 2023/24 season.
With Sean Longstaff set to leave Newcastle, there could be a chance for Hernes to prove he should be pushed up the pecking order. However, Premier League minutes will be very hard to come by with Lewis Miley and Joe Willock providing backup for Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali and Joelinton.
Alex Murphy
Out of the seven academy players spotted in senior training, Alex Murphy is one of just two who have actually made their first-team debut for Newcastle United.
The Irish defender has two Premier League appearances to his name, having featured at left-back twice during the 2023/24 season.
He spent the second half of last season at Bolton, and will hope to make an impression at the Newcastle United training ground before going out on loan again.
Ben Parkinson
Ben Parkinson is the other player who has made his Premier League debut. That came in a defeat away to Bournemouth during the 2023/24 season, at a time when Howe’s side were massively hindered by injuries.
Injury stopped Parkinson from going out on loan at the beginning of 2025, and he will likely be eager not to miss out on that opportunity again.
For now, he will have the chance to work under Howe alongside the Newcastle United first-team.
Ben Parkinson in action for Newcastle United Under-21s against Chelsea Under-21s.
Photo by Harriet Massey/Newcastle United via Getty Images
Max Thompson
Finally, the seventh Toon youngster spotted in pre-season training is goalkeeper Max Thompson.
The 20-year-old from Tyneside has already had two loan spells away from the club, representing Northampton Town and Chesterfield over the past couple of seasons.
A third loan has to be likely, as Newcastle United’s senior goalkeeper department is incredibly stacked. It could soon grow further, with James Trafford expected to join Newcastle from Burnley.