Newcastle United set to confirm January exit with loan deal imminent

Newcastle United academy forward Dylan Stephenson is expected to complete a loan move to Scottish Championship club Hamilton Academical in the next 24 hours.

The move will see the 20-year-old spend the remainder of the season with John Rankin’s side and he will link up with Magpies academy team-mate Lucas de Bolle after he joined the Accies on a season-long loan on the final day of the summer transfer window.

Sources in Scotland have indicated Stephenson was at the Fountain of Youth Stadium on Saturday as Hamilton came through a penalty shoot-out against SPL strugglers Ross County to reach the fifth round of the William Hill Scottish Cup. A home tie against Hearts was the prize for that impressive win, meaning De Bolle and Stephenson could face recent Magpies signing Garang Kuol in the last 16 of the competition in three weeks time.

Stephenson, who scored in United’s friendly win against Saudi side Al-Hilal last month, recently spoke of his desire to earn a first loan move of his career and follow the example of Magpies midfielder Elliot Anderson after he enjoyed a productive spell at Bristol Rovers during the second-half of last season.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with NewcastleWorld, he said: “You see other players that go out and they get the experience, they come back and they are like a totally different player.

“Elliot (Anderson) is an example of that, he went out on loan to Bristol Rovers, he shined there, and he came back a much better player and look where he is now. He’s the one I do look up to because I’ve played with him from under-15s all the way through until he started being up there (with the first-team squad) all of the time.

“(I) definitely want to go out on loan to get experience and experience men’s football, see what it’s like. Obviously I had a bit with the Papa John’s Trophy but you want to be surrounded by men’s football and everything that comes with it.”

Several EFL and National League clubs were understood to have shown an interest in the young forward but he could now make his competitive senior debut in the colours of Hamilton when they visit promotion-chasing Partick Thistle on Saturday if he completes a loan move as expected. Stephenson will hope to make an impact as he gets his first taste of senior action in Scotland and the next step in his career will be assessed when he returns to Tyneside at the end of the campaign.