Alan Shearer sets Newcastle United star 8-year challenge - Chelsea past holds trump card
Lewis Hall has arguably been Newcastle United's most improved player in the 2024-25 season.
Alan Shearer has backed Lewis Hall to earn more England recognition - and pin down the left-back role for the next eight years.
Newcastle United supporters have been blown away by the 20-year-old’s transformation this season. While on loan last year, Hall barely played, with Eddie Howe easing him into the rigours of St James' Park life.
Some began questioning whether the move - made permanent for £28million - was a mistake. That was until Hall showed signs of improvement at the back end of 2023-24 as Newcastle narrowly missed out on European football.
The youngster has carried that into the current campaign tenfold - with many viewing him as United’s most improved player. Hall’s heroics earned him a maiden England cap against Greece in November.
Ironically, the man who handed him his senior debut for Chelsea as a 17-year-old, Thomas Tuchel, is now the England manager. That could see Hall given further opportunities, with left-back previously viewed as a weakness for the Three Lions.
Speaking to The Rest Is Football podcast, Newcastle legend Shearer named Hall as the Englishman who deserves more international game time. He said: “I would go with Lewis Hall. I know he’s already got caps, but I still think that’s a position up for grabs.
“And he’s having a fantastic season in everything he’s doing. Defending, going forward. He’s looking like the real deal. And I think that could be the position that he could take for the next six, seven, eight years, if he keeps on going.”