'The ultimate' - Newcastle United forward makes request ahead of summer transfer window
Garang Kuol wants to be playing senior football next season after starring for Newcastle United’s under-21s.
Newcastle United winger Garang Kuol admits he is unsure about what’s next this summer.
Kuol was widely recognised as Australia’s most exciting young prospect after he appeared at the Qatar World Cup less than a couple of months before his move to Newcastle from Central Coast Mariners.
However, it hasn’t quite worked out for the 20-year-old on European soil yet following unsuccessful loan spells at Scottish Premiership side Hearts and FC Volendam in the Netherlands. The Magpies lined up another loan move for Kuol last summer but a thigh issue put the blocks on.
And that may have been a blessing in disguise because by featuring regularly for the club’s under-21s, Kuol has remained injury-free and gained a huge amount of confidence, scoring eight goals in 12 appearances this campaign.
Garang Kuol admits uncertainty ahead of the summer
Kuol hopes to take that form into next season after revealing his desire to play senior football again next season, whether that be on Tyneside or elsewhere.
Speaking to ESPN, Kuol said: "The most important thing for me is to be able to play [senior] football... it won't be that easy to jump from the under-21s at Newcastle to a first-team squad which could be in the Champions League.
"For the summer, I'm not really sure what's going to happen in terms of my next move ... but I'd say [senior] football is the ultimate goal."
Kuol featured for Newcastle during their post-season trip to Melbourne last year, where he was subject to a fanfare in matches against Tottenham Hotspur and A-League All Stars. The winger has trained with Eddie Howe’s first-team at points this campaign but has not yet been named in the matchday squad.
Reflecting on his time at Newcastle, Kuol said earlier this year: “Obviously, when I first came [I was] on loan, straight to Hearts. Again, it was a period full of learning, and people would say it was a bad spell for me, but I think I was able to learn from it, and take a lot of things out of it.
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“Then I went on to the Netherlands again on loan, for the season-long loan. I feel like it was very good for me as well, especially the first half of the season when I was playing consistently and training consistently under the coaches that brought me in. It was very good for me.
“And obviously pre-season here with the first team was very good for me. I saw the level that the first team people were at, and just to see it live in the flesh, the work rate and where I got to get to, it was good for me, which brings me to here.
“I enjoy the somewhat quiet city and going to the games [at St James’ Park] as well is very enjoyable, seeing the team play. Just going to training every day, I'm very happy.”