Newcastle United hand debut to under-the-radar signing - already congratulated by £17m Real Madrid star

Newcastle United handed a debut to one of their winter signings over the weekend.

Just over a month after joining from Turkish second-tier side Genclerbirligi on a reported four-and-a-half-year contract, Baran Yildiz made his first appearance for the under-18s in their 4-1 win over Stoke City on Saturday afternoon.

The 18-year-old was introduced in the 86th minute and quickly registered an assist, setting up Matthew Taylor’s goal in stoppage time.

In the months leading up to his move to Tyneside, the attacking midfielder scored seven goals in 15 matches for Genclerbirligi’s under-17s and under-19s teams.

It is hoped Yildiz can follow on a similar trajectory to Real Madrid star Arda Guler, who started his career at Genclerbirligi before joining Fenerbahce and then Madrid for £17million.

Indeed, Guler was one of the first players to congratulate Yildiz on his switch to Newcastle.

Another January signing impressive

Yildiz is one of two new signings in the under-18s squad. The other is Republic of Ireland youth international Kyle Fitzgerald, who has enjoyed a bright start to life after joining from Galway United.

Fitzgerald scored twice against the Potters, taking his tally to three goals in his opening four appearances, as well as registering two assists.

“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,” Fitzgerald recently told newcastleunited.com. “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.

“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.”

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