Sean Longstaff’s rumoured exit feels like the right time for the player and the club. He has played over 200 times for his boyhood club and played a huge role in our recent successes.
However, the club have outgrown the academy graduate and this is an opportunity for him to go and play regular football again.
One interesting sub-plot relates to the UEFA squad regulations ahead of a return to the Champions League. As part of any club’s 25-man squad (List A), they require to name eight locally trained players. Four of these can be ‘association-trained’, while the other four need to be ‘club trained’. [UEFA](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/0290-1b97b7b96437-e304525c48c7-1000--champions-league-league-phase-squads-player-registration-/) define each as the following:
_‘Association-trained players – ‘on another club’s books in the same association for three entire seasons (i.e. the period between the first and last official match of the relevant national championship) or of 36 months between the ages of 15 and 21.’_
_Club-trained players – ‘on a club’s books for three entire seasons (i.e. the period between the first and last official match of the relevant national championship) or of 36 months between the ages of 15 and 21.’_
For example, Harvey Barnes would qualify as an association-trained player, as he was developed by Leicester City and they are a domestic club. Meanwhile, Sean Longstaff is our only current club-trained player over the age of 21.
**Do we need to register four club-trained players?**
No, but there is a penalty for not doing so. For every club-trained player that you are unable to register, you have one squad space removed. If Longstaff goes, we will be unable to register any club-trained players on List A and that would limit our squad size to 21.
The association-trainer player requirement isn’t an issue for Newcastle United. We have several players that meet these criteria and will be able to register more than the four required.
**What is List B?**
Alongside List A, every club is able to name current academy players under the age of 21 on their List B. There is no limit to the number of players that can be included on this list, as UEFA attempts to promote the use of academy players in their competitions.
UEFA outlines the criteria for List B as follows:
_A player may be registered on List B if he is born on, or after, 1 January 2003 and has been eligible to play for the club concerned for any uninterrupted period of two years since his 15th birthday by the time he is registered with UEFA – or for a total of three consecutive years with a maximum of one loan period to a club from the same association for a period not longer than one year._
Lewis Miley is an example of a player that can be included on List B, as he meets the criteria. He will be named as part of our Champions League squad, without taking up one of the previous squad slots in List A. Once he is 21, he will be classified as a ‘club-trained’ player on List A.
One contentious point relates to Lewis Hall. At the age of 20, he is young enough to be included on List B and he will have been at the club for two years when the Champions League squads are submitted. However, the first year was a loan spell and this writer interprets that he will need to be named on List A as a result.
His two years at the club will not be deemed uninterrupted under contract law, as his registration would have been returned to Chelsea before his permanent move, even if that was for a matter of minutes.
The UEFA regulations aren’t clear on this point though and it is one that the club will need to clarify. It would be a boost if Hall could be included on List B, even if I deem that unlikely based on my interpretation.
**What does the above mean for our Champions League squad?**
If we are only able to name 21 players on List A, Eddie Howe will likely be required to make a few decisions and may need to leave players out of the squad.
This writer would speculate that the likes of Mark Gillespie, John Ruddy, Odysseas Vlachodimos, Emil Krafth, Jamaal Lascelles, Matt Targett and Will Osula are all at risk of being left out depending on the volume of new signings.
There could be a few academy players that benefit as a result of the registration rules. Joe White and Alex Murphy are both players that could be named on List A and qualify as ‘club trained’.
Both have had loan spells in the EFL and are unlikely to ever be regulars in the first team. However, their registration status could mean that can provide depth to the first team.
It would be expected that both players are given the chance to impress in pre-season.
**Will this be an ongoing issue for the club?**
In the short term, yes. However, the investment in the 13-15 age group in the academy means that we will start to produce more players that are good enough to feature in the first team. In the coming years, we should develop plenty more ‘club-trained’ players.
Trevan Sanusi, Leo Shahar and Sean Neave are all current players in the academy that some believe could become first team players at St James’ Park. There will be more and more that come through in the coming years, as the investment continues.