Newcastle United 2-0 Athletic Club: Joe Buck reaction
Newcastle United’s Under-19s suffered a 3-2 defeat in a UEFA Youth League game against Athletic Club on Wednesday afternoon.
Newcastle United youngster Scott Bailey believes the various challenges facing Magpies academy players this season will hand a major boost to their long-term development.
The Durham-born midfielder has been part of the United youth setup since the age of nine and has gradually worked his way towards Under-21s level in recent seasons. Now a key part of Adam Lawrence’s side, Bailey found the net in Wednesday’s 3-2 defeat in a UEFA Youth League clash with Athletic Club as the United youngsters continue to look for their first point in the competition.
Going up against some of European football’s most talented young players is just one test facing United’s prospects this season and they will face players at the other end of the age scale when they face senior sides in the Vertu Trophy and the National League Cup. With the Premier League International Cup and the regular Premier League 2 fixtures also on the agenda, Bailey has stressed just how much benefit he is feeling from throwing himself into battle with players and sides showcasing different styles and approaches to the game.
He told The Gazette: “I feel like it’s a different challenge for us and you are coming up against very skilful players. I think in three of the four games we have played, we have done well but we just haven’t come out of them with the result. Hopefully in the last two games we can get a result. There are always things to learn, they are always things to improve on and I think the competition has helped with that.
“With all of these different competitions, there are different challenges, there’s games against men and that’s the physical side, games like this when it’s technical against small and fast players. Having all of those challenges helps the all-round game and I feel like it will help us in the long run. The foreign players, they are very technical but I feel if I was to play in League One or League Two, where it’s more physical and I’d love to play that sort of game.”
Results
Newcastle United youth coach Adam Lawrenceplaceholder image
Newcastle United youth coach Adam Lawrence | Getty Images
Bailey praised the impact made by Magpies academy coach Adam Lawrence after he was persuaded to swap life within the youth setup at Manchester United for a move to the North East earlier this season. Although wins have been hard to come by at Under-21s and in the UEFA Youth League during the early months of his time on Tyneside, Bailey believes Lawrence does have his side moving in the right direction.
He said: “Going into games, we definitely know what we are doing. It’s taken a few games to get into it but now I feel we are starting to get performances and we just need to get the results and make sure we get them in every game we play in.”
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