Michael Ndiweni of Newcastle United (L) and Lewis Miley (R) during the Premier League 2 match between Newcastle United and Norwich City
Michael Ndiweni and Lewis Miley
Newcastle United are looking to spend big in the transfer market this summer but there is still hope that the Academy can continue to produce players who can save the club a fortune.
The Magpies haven't had the strongest production line in the last decade, but the last few years have started to see a steady trickle of players into the first team.
Sean Longstaff, Lewis Miley and Elliot Anderson have all been fixtures in Newcastle's midfield in recent seasons. It's an area of the club that has had a lot of focus since PIF took over from Mike Ashley, with a determination to recruit well into the squad below the first team as well. The likes of Kyle Fitzgerald, Alex Murphy, Garang Kuol and Antonio Cordero, who will join this summer, have all been brought in to supplement the local stars breaking through.
One player who featured on the bench for Newcastle is Michael Ndiweni. Now plying his trade with Newcastle Blue Star, he knows how difficult it is to make that breakthrough, but says he has seen the quality first hand at the Benton training ground - and has singled out four players, starting with Miley, who he thinks can be a success.
“I think he’s one of the best young talents in the Premier League, and he’s a future England player,” Ndiweni said about 19-year-old Miley on the SDS podcast.
“I’ve played with his brother [Jamie], he [Lewis] is two years younger, he’s so athletic for someone who’s 18. He can move the ball quick, he can carry the ball, his passing, everything, just makes the right decisions.”
“You know that type of player? You give him the ball, he makes the right decision, keeps things ticking.”
Ndiweni spent eight years at Newcastle, and played alongside a number of talented stars before being released last summer. He singled out Anderson - 'now one of the midfielders of the season' - and Joe White, who has been on loan at MK Dons, as being among the most talented he played with. And there were three current Under-21 players who have made their mark on the striker - Kuol, Sean Neave and Trevan Sanusi.
“When I first joined at Under-18, Elliot Anderson, he’s now one of the midfielders of the season," Ndiweni explained. "Joe White is on loan in League Two, Trevan Sanusi, he’s he got bought from Birmingham, he’s there now, he’s killing it.
“Garang Kuol, the Australian, he played in the World Cup, he’s killing it at the moment. Sean Neave, the youngster who was on the bench in the Carabao Cup, there’s a few youngsters who are killing it at the moment.”
Neave is likely to be on the bench again for Newcastle this weekend when they bring the curtain down on the season with a home clash against Everton. The Winlaton youngster is still only 17, but has a Carabao Cup winners medal to his name after appearing on the bench at Wembley against Liverpool.
The forward has yet to make his debut for the first team, unlike Sanusi who had a cameo off the bench against Bromley in the FA Cup third round in January. Sanusi is recovering from injury and played for the Under-21s last week against Celtic.