Newcastle United beat National League side Carlisle United 4-0 in a behind-closed-doors friendly, where two players were seen with brand new squad numbers.
It was a welcome surprise for fans who are excited to see their team back in action. The Magpies are taking pre-season seriously and have already played a warm-up game with the players who returned to training early.
Newcastle United secured a comfortable win against Carlisle United on Saturday, with both teams braving the intense heat on Tyneside. Goals from Leeds United target Sean Longstaff, Joelinton, Jacob Murphy and Ben Parkinson sealed the deal for Newcastle, who play Celtic in Glasgow on July 19.
The rest of Newcastle’s first team squad are due back soon, the likes of Anthony Gordon, Alexander Isak and Sandro Tonali got extra time off due to them playing for their international teams, though they should all report back without any fitness issues.
Eight academy stars featured in Newcastle’s win against Carlisle, and many were intrigued to see two players wearing new shirt numbers ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.
Trevan Sanusi in action during an FA Cup game between Newcastle United and Bromley.
Photo by Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images
Two Newcastle United players given new squad numbers in pre-season
There has been a lot of speculation around squad numbers in recent weeks, mainly regarding Alexander Isak.
Callum Wilson officially announced his departure from Newcastle on Monday, ending a run of five seasons with the Magpies. His exit leaves the No.9 vacant, but it is believed Newcastle will offer Isak the chance to change and wear the iconic number just like Alan Shearer did when he signed in 1996.
Reports suggested Isak is happy to stay with No.14, but he could still be tempted.
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First minutes of pre-season 💪
Goals from Sean Longstaff, Joelinton, Jacob Murphy and Ben Parkinson saw us beat Carlisle United 4-0 in a behind-closed-doors game earlier this afternoon.
— Newcastle United (@NUFC) July 12, 2025
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Elsewhere, it was noted during the game that Trevan Sanusi and Ben Parkinson were both wearing different squad numbers against Carlisle, with Sanusi going from 75 to 60, and Parkinson moving to 41 from 63.
The 60 shirt has only been worn once in the past, with Jack Young taking it for the 2019/20 season. Parkinson’s 41 has been worn by the likes of Freddie Woodman, Dan Langley and Shane Ferguson in the past.
Sanusi and Parkinson changing numbers suggests they could play a bigger role in Howe’s squad next season. The pair have already made their professional debuts and should be in with a chance of impressing during pre-season.
Anthony Elanga still needs a shirt number after joining Newcastle United
Friday night saw the official announcement of Anthony Elanga to Newcastle, with the winger joining on a five-year deal from Nottingham Forest.
The 23-year-old will soon link up with Newcastle’s first team for pre-season training and will likely be in the squad for their upcoming game against Celtic. However, it remains to be seen which shirt number he will be given.
Elanga has several shirt numbers to choose from, but it may be a case of waiting until Isak chooses to go for No.9 to give him the 14 shirt, or just give him the No.9.
Fans will be hoping for a resolution very soon, so they can start getting his name and number printed on the back of their shirts.
There is a lot of excitement around Elanga’s signing on Tyneside. They know his potential, and fans will be keen on him having a good number which he can immortalise.