Newcastle United have promoted several young players from the academy to the first team in recent seasons.
Toon boss Eddie Howe deserves a lot of credit for his willingness to go to Newcastle’s academy wherever needed and has even gone as far to play some in the Premier League.
Howe handed debuts to the likes of Amadou Diallo and young defender Alex Murphy in 2023 and has worked wonders with Lewis Miley, who is showing early signs of becoming a superstar for the Magpies.
Miley has ‘the world at his feet‘, according to commentator Pat Nevin who was in awe of how good the midfielder was despite being just 18 years old.
There has been a big focus on recruiting young players from elsewhere since the takeover, rather than solely signing local talents. The arrival of Alfie Harrison was the first ‘big money’ move for an academy prospect, with Newcastle spending £3.5m to sign him from Manchester City.
Elsewhere, young players like Garang Kuol are continuing to prove why Newcastle should continue recruiting from overseas. The Australian has overcome two torrid loan spells to become a regular starter for Newcastle’s under-21s.
Now, there’s a new star who has been training alongside Newcastle’s first team this season who has caught the eye of many, including Howe.
Photo by Harriet Massey/Newcastle United via Getty Images
Photo by Harriet Massey/Newcastle United via Getty Images
Sean Neave continues to impress at Newcastle United
17-year-old Sean Neave joined Newcastle’s academy as a 13-year-old and in just four years has already made a name for himself in the youth setup and within the first team.
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Neave was named on the bench for Newcastle’s FA Cup win against Birmingham City having trained with the Magpies alongside fellow academy star Leo Shahar.
The Newcastle-born forward has also impressed for the under-18s and under-21s this season, scoring 10 goals in as many games.
Neave added to his tally on Friday night during the young Magpies’ 2-0 win against Middlesbrough in the Premier League 2. Post-match, under-21s head coach Diarmuid O’Carroll spoke on Newcastle’s official website about Neave.
“Sean has skipped out the under-21s which a lot of the players, when they’re destined for things, do and that’s been brilliant,” O’Carroll said.
“The lines of communication up and down have been great, being up (at the first-team training ground) myself to watch some sessions and I had a good chat with the staff.
“Everything is specific to where we feel, from our experiences with him, Sean can develop and they can see different stuff as well. I’ve seen a real progression in him in terms of maturity, professionalism and standards which the first-team demand and, hopefully, it rubs off on the Academy as well.
“There was 60 minutes in the bank for the two of the boys who’ve been up with the first-team (Neave and Leo Shahar) and they both looked sharp which was really positive. All the reports coming back from the first-team have been really good so it’s an incentive for all the rest to be in that position.
“It shows what we’re all about as a club that they are up there training, getting that level of expertise and exposure before coming back to play with us.”
Sean Neave’s impressive rise at Newcastle United
It’s fair to say that Neave has done something that very few, if any have done at Newcastle. Breaking through to the first-team despite barely playing for the under-21s.
Neave played five minutes for Newcastle’s second-string team in the 2023/24 season, having impressed during the Magpies UEFA Youth League campaign, where he scored once against Borussia Dortmund aged 16.
Even Elliot Anderson, who impressed in the first team and now at Nottingham Forest couldn’t do what Neave has. Like Neave, Anderson had a remarkable rise to Newcastle’s main squad having impressed as captain for the under-23s. His loan to Bristol Rovers also showed his qualities, helping them get promoted to League One in 2022.
Anderson left Newcastle for Nottingham Forest in 2024 and is continuing to impress under Nuno Espirito Santo
There’s no doubt that the future is bright for Neave who is showing signs that he can be a part of Howe’s matchday squads more frequently in the future.