Newcastle United sign 11 players in major academy revamp including PSG goal hero

Newcastle United have given 11 youngsters professional contracts as part of a major academy revamp.

Aidan Harris, Dylan Charlton, Anthony Munda, twin brothers Harry and Rory Powell, Johnny Emerson, Sean Neave, Scott Bailey, Josh Donaldson, Adam Harrison and Darren Palmer have penned their first senior deals. The Magpies released 13 youth players at the back end of last season following the Australia trip.

A humbling 8-0 defeat to the A-League All Stars outlined the need for a rethink at Benton, with several prospects failing to take their chance. Although both featured in that defeat, the likes of goalkeeper Harris and versatile defender Charlton have been retained.

Carlisle-born Emerson - who bagged the winner in last season’s 2-1 UEFA Youth League win over Paris Saint-Germain - has also signed a first-team contract. The 18-year-old is aiming to replicate fellow academy product Lewis Miley by forcing his way into Eddie Howe’s plans.

“Playing in the UEFA Youth League was a very valuable experience for me,” he told the club website. “It gave me a taster of playing on a big stage with more pressure and fans and I loved it. I thought it improved me massively as a player and, mentally, being able to deal with those types of games. 

“I enjoyed testing myself against some of the best players in the world at my age group to see where I was at as a player and that’s the only way to improve so I enjoyed the level of competition. Signing my first professional contract is a dream for me.

My whole life, from the day I was born, has been 100 per cent football so it’s very special for me because it’s something me and my family have worked towards and do it with such a massive club like Newcastle is an honour, especially with the way the club is going.

“Being at the Academy since 2019, and first coming on trial, I think it was quite different from starting at a boys club in Carlisle called Northbank to then moving to play in Scotland for Annan and Queen of the South and then coming to Newcastle, having my parents drive me an hour four to five times a week from Brampton. I think it’s all helped me to be the player and person I am today.

“Seeing people who have progressed through to the first-team from the Academy like Lewis Miley and Joe White has been very inspiring because it shows it’s possible and the pathway is there if I do all the right things. The goal is to try and and follow a similar pathway as Lewis because, ultimately, he’s living our dreams by playing in the Premier League and Champions League."