'Really upset' - Newcastle United's new under-the-radar signing reveals Wolves snub

Newcastle United 18-year-old midfielder Travis Hernes has reflected on his recent call up to Eddie Howe's first-team squad.

Hernes, who joined from League One side Shrewsbury Town on deadline day last summer, was named on the Magpies' bench for the FA Cup win at Fulham and the Premier League victory away to Aston Villa late last month.

He didn't get to make his debut but told Norwegian TV2: “It’s crazy. You hear nothing, and you can’t do anything but look around and try to take it in. It’s like what you dream about when you’re little.

"When I was called up for first team training, it was crazy to think that I’ve played with all these guys here on FIFA and they just have no idea who I am.

“There are players you see on TV and think ‘Wow, they are good’. So, when you sit on the bench, all you want is to just experience what it’s like to be on the pitch in a Premier League match. It doesn’t feel real when you’re in the dressing room with Champions League footballers, sort of. But you just have to get used to it.

“When you train with the team every day and you’re taken out on the bench, it shows you’re doing something right. I have to continue to do my best and show that I deserve that place in the squad."

Hernes scored on his professional debut for Shrewsbury during an EFL Trophy tie against Wolverhampton Wanderers under-21s aged just 16 August 2022. He then went on to make his full senior debut away to Leeds United in the Carabao Cup at the beginning of the campaign.

Prior to joining Shrewsbury, Hernes spent time at Wolves' academy after moving from Norway to England at the age of 14. He admits his exit from Molineux left him "really upset". Hernes said: “They [Wolves] said I wasn’t good enough. I was really upset. When you’re from Norway, the only thing you want to do is play for a Premier League club. When I was 16, I ended up playing against Wolverhampton, and then I ended up scoring against them. So even though I was really upset at first, I think it was for the better.”