Leo Shahar made his competitive Newcastle United debut in the Champions League on Tuesday night at St James’ Park.
Leo Shahar had to be patient to make his competitive debut for Newcastle United.
The 18-year-old right-back has been training regularly with the first-team and has frequently been named on the bench by Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe this season.
After 16 times as an unused substitute, Shahar finally made his debut as he came off the bench for Newcastle in the closing stages of their Champions League won over Qarabag at St James’ Park.
With Newcastle leading 6-1 from the first leg, there were calls for Shahar to start the game at right-back in order to give 35-year-old Kieran Trippier a rest.
But with Newcastle leading 3-2 on the night and 9-3 on aggregate, Shahar replaced Jacob Murphy in the 87th minute and was able to get involved in the game. In his limited time on the pitch, he managed 12 touches of the ball and was able to see out the win comfortably.
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Leo Shahar and NUFC players react to Champions League debut
Reacting to his Newcastle debut, Shahar took to Instagram to post an image of himself in action during the match along with the caption: “Proud to make my Champions League debut for this club 🤍🖤.”
Several Newcastle players were quick to respond, with Anthony Gordon commenting: “Congrats mate.”
Jacob Murphy wrote: “Well done my boy.”
Jacob Ramsey and Lewis Miley also commented with heart emojis.
But Shahar’s close friend and teammate at Newcastle academy and England youth level Trevan Sanusi, couldn’t resist a cheeky response as he wrote: “About time.”
It’s a fitting comment given Shahar had to sit through 16 first-team matches as an unused substitute before finally making his debut.
Sanusi and Shahar arrived at Newcastle in the summer of 2024 and signed their first professional deals at the club around the same time. They have progressed through the ranks together at England youth level having arrived from the West Midlands.
Sanusi was at Birmingham City’s academy while Shahar arrived from Wolverhampton Wanderers.
While Shahar had to wait for his Newcastle debut, Sanusi featured regularly for the first-team during his first full pre-season and made his competitive debut against Bromley in the FA Cup at St James’ Park last January.
He is currently out on loan at Ligue 1 club Lorient but has suffered an injury-hit campaign so far. Sanusi grabbed a goal and an assist off the bench on his Lorient debut in the Coupe de France in December before starting the following round.
Sanusi has been named on the bench three times in Ligue 1 but is yet to get on the pitch and is currently out with a knee injury.
Leo Shahar comments on Newcastle United debut
Shahar also reflected on his debut when speaking to NUFC TV after the match.
“I'm buzzing, obviously,” he said. “Been on the bench quite a few times now, looking forward to that moment. Really excited.
“Obviously, you think about that from when you were a kid. But over the last couple of months, I've definitely been thinking about that moment. I'm glad it came.
“I've learned so much from the likes of Kieran Trippier and people like that. They've just helped me along the way. I've been with them for the past year now. Every little bit of information I can get out of them, I do, and they help me a lot.
“It's only the start. Five minutes, I want to start a game for Newcastle United. That's my goal. I've just got to keep working hard in training, keep impressing the manager, and hopefully the opportunity comes.”
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