Newcastle United’s academy looks to have produced a gem who is generating excitement both on the pitch and among pundits.
As we navigate PSR, homegrown talent will be essential to our long-term vision of competing at the highest level. One youngster in particular is earning plenty of plaudits from analysts, and Eddie Howe, about what they can achieve in the future.
The prodigy is a breath of fresh air from an academy that has finally moved out of its decade long decline, almost feeling like a throwback to local legends that have came through at Newcastle in the past.
Speaking on their NBC Pocast, The 2 Robbies, Robbie Earle and Robbie Mustoe heaping praise on Lewis Miley, discussing why the teenage sensation reminds them of a young Cesc Fabregas.
The 18-year-old has been the bright spark in a dull spell over the last weeks, adding a goal to his account against Nottingham Forest after impressing in the second half against Manchester City.
After naming Miley as his ‘underappreciated player of the week’ Earle said: “I’m going for a young man who’s come through the Newcastle academy called Lewis Miley, who’s a little diamond.
“I remember watching him in the Champions League, and this kid’s ability to regulate a game, to take a touch, to always have a calmness. He looks classy. He’s always got time, he’s always got space which, as we know, is not easy.
“I was once in the company of Arsene Wenger and he was talking about players, and he said to me about Cesc Fabregas, and I said to him ‘What’s the thing about Cesc Fabregas?’ and he said ‘He makes right decisions more than any player I’ve ever worked with,’ and I get the sense that Lewis Miley is one of them.”
“He (Miley) makes good decisions. He is graceful. For teams like Newcastle with PSR, that academy and bringing players through is golden. Newcastle have to get back to that, after the great Gazza’s and Lee Clarke; they’ve produced a lot of talent from that part of the world.”
The Mags’ meticulous manager Eddie Howe has equally leaped to praise Miley and discuss his potential. Typically quite measured in his management of young players, Howe has repeatedly singled out the teenager.
The Stanley-born lad also received comparisons to a Premier League legend from his manager, with [Howe seeing similarities between Miley and Gerrard](https://www.nufcblog.co.uk/2025/02/25/howe-reveals-premier-league-legend-lewis-miley-reminds-him-of/) admitting that the teenager “can be anything that he wants to be.”
Miley came on at 3-0 down against Man City and was the standout performer against the Premier League holders last month. Howe said: “The big positive is Lewis’ performance in the second half. He showed, not just bravery out of possession, in terms of winning duels and covering the pitch, but also in terms of taking the ball, showing composure and making the right decisions, which we didn’t do enough of.
For a manager who’s built his reputation on developing talent, Miley’s rise is a feather in Howe’s cap and a sign that the youth pipeline is in safe hands. With the boss’s backing, Miley isn’t just a prospect; he’s becoming a cornerstone of our midfield.