A former Newcastle United academy star has opened up on his time with the Magpies and his move to a new club.
A former Newcastle United midfielder is determined to use the ‘little experiences’ he had during his time at St James Park after he made a promising start to life with his new club.
After joining the Magpies following a spell within the youth set-up at arch rivals Sunderland, much was expected of talented youngster Jay Turner-Cooke as he made his way through the United academy setup. Despite training alongside Eddie Howe’s first-team squad on a regular basis, a handful of friendly appearances was the closest the midfielder came to experiencing senior action during his time at St James Park.
Loan spells with Tranmere Rovers and St Johnstone failed to spark an upturn in fortunes and his time with the Magpies was brought to an end when he was released last summer. Turner-Cooke has since joined National League club FC Halifax Town and the 21-year-old has revealed his determination to make the most of the opportunity he has been handed by the Shaymen.
He told the Halifax Courier: “Most days I was with them, playing with some of the best players in the league, some would say in the world, the likes of Bruno (Guimaraes). You learn every day from these players, what they do every day, how they carry themselves.
“That's benefitted me to get to the level I am now and hopefully I can use the little experiences I've got to help the others around me. I've had some sniffs of it (first-team football) but maybe not hit the levels everyone expected me to. But hopefully now, coming here has allowed me to play consistently and I think I am starting to show everyone what I'm about.”
Performances
Josh Martin spent time on loan at Barnsley during the 2022/23 season.placeholder image
Josh Martin spent time on loan at Barnsley during the 2022/23 season. | George Wood/Getty Images
Turner-Cooke made an immediate impression with the Shaymen as he scored on his first start for his new club in a 2-1 home defeat against Forest Green Rovers before marking his return to the North East with a second goal in a 2-1 victory at Gateshead. A 2-1 defeat at Truro City on Saturday brought an end to a five-game winning streak at the weekend and Turner-Cooke and his team-mates will now hope to return to winning ways when they host York City on Saturday.
Speaking ahead of that game, the former Magpies youngster admitted he is enjoying life at The Shay and wants to repay Halifax manager Adam Lakeland for the faith he has shown in him.
He said: ”I'm loving it. Obviously I came with no real pre-season and got thrown straight into it in the Forest Green game (his first start), and I couldn't have asked for a better start, scoring on my debut. And I've not really looked back, I'm playing most games, most minutes and loving every minute. I can't thank the gaffer enough for putting his trust in me and I'm repaying him with my performances on the pitch."
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