'Give me a chance' - Newcastle United youth prospect wants to catch Eddie Howe's eye

Newcastle United new boy Kyle Fitzgerald has already set his sights on catching the eye of first-team head coach Eddie Howe, after his move was confirmed.

The Republic of Ireland youth international’s deal to move from Galway United was only rubber-stamped by the Magpies this week, but the forward already hopes his pathway to the Premier League will be wide open at St James’ Park.

Fitzgerald is likely to be integrated into the club’s under-18 and under-21 setup, but plenty of players of the same age have been fast-tracked into first-team training with Howe and his coaches. The likes of Trevan Sanusi has seen first-team minutes this season, while Leo Shahar is the latest player to be promoted to fill gaps in the first-team ranks.

And while it might sound ambitious, having only walked through the door on Tyneside, Fitzgerald is hoping to do the same.

“Short-term, I want to show the academy why they signed me and try to get goals, assists and win games. In the long-term, it would be getting into the under-21s squad, playing well for them and showing my qualities. Hopefully, the gaffer can give me a chance in a few training sessions to prove myself to try and get into first-team matchday squads and, hopefully, make my debut for Newcastle United in the future,” the youngster told newcastleunited.com.

‘Conversations with different clubs’

Like many of the players on the Magpies’ radar, particularly at youth level, there was no free run at getting Fitzgerald, with the 18-year-old admitting he had a decision to make before penning his deal.

“I'm very happy. I had a few conversations with different clubs but as soon as Newcastle came in, it was a no-brainer for me,” he said.

“I was on trial in the summer and I really liked the city, people and the atmosphere at St. James' Park. I want to play for fans who really enjoy hard work, goals and creative players.

“The project really attracted me. Steve Harper and Paul Midgley (Head of Youth Recruitment) showed me the pathway of players such as Alex Murphy, who has came through Galway's Academy and then signed for Newcastle like myself.

“I used to go to the same school as Alex but I was two or three years younger than him. I did look up to him because he was in Galway's first-team when I was at the Academy. Hopefully, I can follow in similar footsteps.”

‘Massive step up’

Fitzgerald, of course, is no stranger to Newcastle or the players at his age group. The Ireland youth international spent part of last summer on trail with the young Magpies in Spain - and it’s fair to say he was impressed by what he saw.

He said: “It was a tough week of training in Pinatar, getting fit in the heat, and also getting to know the lads. They were very welcoming with me and the likes of Heff (Cathal Heffernan), who is also Irish, helped to introduce me into the group and I'm getting very well with them.

“Coming from Ireland into an English academy, there's a massive difference in quality and training. Back home, I was only training three nights a week whereas, at Newcastle, I'm training five to six mornings and then playing a match at the weekend.

“It's a massive step up but I think I've embraced it well. I've already completed a few weeks of training with the under-18s and under-21s squads so I think I've already come on as a player in terms of quality but also as a person, getting to know the staff and players.

“Being away from home can be tough but, with the international team, I'm away a lot in different countries so I'm used to that but this is different because I'll be away for a lot of months without getting home.

“My host family is very nice, though, and I'm really enjoying it. I would say the Geordie people are similar enough to the Irish and are very friendly so I like being among them.”

In other news, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has been teased in Parliament over Newcastle United’s Carabao Cup triumph.