Newcastle United teenager Rory Finneran is a real talent for the future – but he faces a battle with Sandro Tonali.
Newcastle United’s midfield is a real subject of debate right now.
Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton have been the tried and tested trio for Eddie Howe.
Joelinton has not been at his best this season, and Howe has been urged to consider midfield changes.
Joe Willock and Jacob Ramsey are options in the middle, while Rory Finneran will hope to catch Howe’s eye as a midfielder of the future.
Rory Finneran during a Republic of Ireland U17s World Cup portrait session
Photo By Seb Daly/Sportsfile via Getty Images
Rory Finneran on training with Sandro Tonali at Newcastle United
Finneran joined Newcastle from Blackburn Rovers in 2024, though the deal is still being dragged out.
Newcastle still haven’t paid compensation for Finneran, leaving Rovers frustrated over not receiving a fee almost 18 months on.
The 17-year-old had already made his senior debut for Blackburn before joining Newcastle, and he is now featuring in Premier League 2.
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Finneran has now spoken about his life at Newcastle and the prospect of challenging Tonali for first-team action.
Speaking to The Irish Mirror, Finneran admitted his mixed feelings on Tonali, noting that it’s ‘tough’ to imagine breaking past him and into the Newcastle side.
That may be a long way off for the teenager, but he accepts it’s ‘hard’ to supplant Tonali.
Finneran loves learning from Tonali, though, and taking inspiration from the Italian’s game is a ‘massive’ factor in his development at Newcastle.
“That’s a tough one,” said Finneran.
“I think when you’re training with players like that and I’m taking stuff off him, it’s a massive thing for me because I’m seeing first-hand what I need to be to be playing at that level.
“So, I think it’s a good thing and a bad thing. Because obviously it’s hard to get in over a player like that. But when you’re taking tips off that, then it’s not exactly a bad thing, if you look at it that way,” he added.
Rory Finneran set for Under-17 World Cup opportunity
Newcastle fans may just keep tabs on Finneran as he heads off to Qatar this week.
The FIFA Under-17 World Cup gets underway this week, with Finneran captaining the Republic of Ireland squad.
Finneran and his teammates will be in action against Panama on Wednesday, before then taking on Uzbekistan and Paraguay.
Advancing from the group will be priority number one, and Finneran will be key to any Republic of Ireland success.
Eddie Howe and co will watch his performances closely, and while challenging Tonali this season is unlikely, he could grow into a Newcastle star down the line.