‘It’s surreal’ - Newcastle United confirm signing of 18y/o — with another ‘set’ to follow

Newcastle United have announced the signing of Cathal Heffernan following his departure from Serie A giants AC Milan.

The 18-year-old moved to Italy from League of Ireland outfit Cork City in February 2022 on an initial loan deal before the move was made permanent the following summer.

He appeared 41 times for the under-18s and represented the Republic of Ireland from under-15s to under-18s level. Heffernan was on trial at Newcastle last month.

“It’s surreal to join such a big club like Newcastle. It’s definitely a club that is on the rise and with a lot of history,” said Heffernan. “During the last week, I’ve been so excited to get started and I’m now looking forward to a big season ahead.

“The first thing I noticed when I arrived on trial was the lads were really welcoming and I just want to carry that on into the season, getting to know them more. The people of Newcastle are also really nice, too.

“I have become a much better defender during my time at AC Milan and I learnt so many things to improve my game during my two seasons in Italy which should stand me in good stead for the future.

“The goal, when playing Academy football, is to try and break into a first-team as quick as you can and, hopefully, I can do that at Newcastle United.”

Heffernan links up with fellow countryman Alex Murphy and Reece Byrne - and could be joined by another.

As per reports in Italy last week. The possibility of the Magpies sealing a move for 18-year-old winger Kevin Zefi from Inter Milan is growing. Calciomercato claims Zefi “is ready to fly to the Premier League” and “hasn’t trained” with the Serie A club since rumours of Newcastle’s interest emerged.

Zefi was born and raised in Dublin and he was a member of the youth setup at Shamrock Rovers. Whilst playing for the League of Ireland side’s second team, he became the youngest-ever goalscorer in the league’s history.

His impressive form earned him international recognition and Zefi has represented Ireland at under 15, under 17 and under 19 levels. The teenager’s main attributes are his pace, natural ability on the ball and a daring eye for goal.

Zefi completed a move to Inter Milan in the summer of 2021 and whilst he has impressed during his appearances for the under-17s and under-18s, he is yet to make his senior debut for last season’s Champions League finalists.