Former Newcastle United academy player Nathan Carlyon has signed for Northern Premier League side Blyth Town.
Carlyon bid an emotional farewell to Newcastle United earlier this summer after leaving the club earlier this year. The 22-year-old had spent 14 years at his boyhood club before being released at the end of last season.
Carlyon suffered a knee injury during the 2023/24 season and was offered a rolling contract by the Magpies as he recovered from that issue. Whilst no official announcement on his exit was made by the club, the midfielder confirmed his departure with an emotional Instagram post in June:
‘After 14 amazing years at my boyhood club, the badge I wore close to my heart, my time has come to an end and my first chapter is wrote.’ Carlyon wrote alongside a picture of him signing for the club as a youngster alongside Peter Beardsley.
‘From being a seven-year-old boy with a dream to the man I am today to play for this club has been a privilege and I would like to thank the coaching staff and my teammates who made my experience unforgettable, I’m so grateful.
‘I would also like to thank the wider staff support throughout my time at the club for making me and my family part of the NUFC family. Last but not least the physio staff for the past year with dealing with me through my rehab coming back stronger….Thank you for everything @nufc 🖤🤍.’
Nathan Carlyon joins Blyth Town
A month on from announcing his departure from St James’ Park, Blyth Town have confirmed the signing of the 22-year-old. Blyth, for the first time in their history, will play in the Northern Premier League next season with Carlyon the latest of a number of signings to be made by the Northumberland outfit.
Gavin Fell, part of the management team at Blyth Town, told The Gazette: “We are delighted to announce the signing of Nathan. Mattie [Thompson] and the club have been working very hard to bring Nathan into Blyth Town over the last couple of weeks, and to finally get this over the line is great news.
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“There was a lot of interest in Nathan due to his professional background and rightly so, so the fact he has chosen to play for Blyth Town says a lot about where this club is heading. Nathan matches everything we look for in a player, hardworking, technically very good and he also has the right temperament, attitude and personality we look for in a player.”
Mattie Thompson added: “We are delighted to sign Nathan. He is a great lad on and off the pitch and a leader on the pitch with great pedigree as Newcastle’s Under-21s captain.”
Carlyon didn’t make a single senior appearance during his time on Tyneside but did represent the Magpies on eight occasions in the EFL Trophy under its numerous guises. Carlyon also captained Newcastle United Under-21’s before his injury prematurely cut short his playing time at the club.
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