Newcastle United have plenty of exciting youngsters in their ranks these days and Eddie Howe is keen to cast a close eye over a select few by dishing out first-team training call-ups to members of Diarmuid O’Carroll’s under-21 side.
Wednesday saw exciting right-back Leo Shahar, 17, again handed the chance to impress as he trained with the club’s senior stars once more. The youngster wasn’t the only notable attendee either, with Anthony Gordon spotted after overcoming a minor injury worry in recent days.
For all the signings Newcastle have made in recent years, Shahar’s is one that has gone slightly under the radar. The teenager arrived in the summer of 2023, leaving boyhood club Wolverhampton Wanderers, and signed his first professional deal on Tyneside last year.
Shahar had spent his entire junior career at the Midlands outfit, making a name for himself at Molineux without ever featuring for Wolves’ senior side. Meanwhile, at international level the defender had already played regularly for England’s under-15 and 16 level.
Shahar has since gone on to represent his country at the European Under-17 Championship finals in Cyprus, starting all three group games for the Young Lions, alongside team-mate Trevan Sanusi. Back at home, the full-back has featured in eight of Newcastle’s 13 under-21 outings in the Premier League 2 this term.
Is Shahar the next cab off the rank? Quite possibly. Signed from Wolves amid significant interest from the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United, Newcastle believe they have landed somewhat of a coup by securing the youngster’s services.
There is still a long way to go in Shahar’s development but the current lay of the land looks favourable on Tyneside. Kieran Trippier, 34, is getting no younger, while Harrison Ashby has failed to kick on since joining Newcastle from West Ham United and is facing an uncertain future.
That means there is potentially an opening for Shahar to offer competition to Tino Livramento in the years to come. Learning from the former Southampton star, and Trippier, in senior training will do him no harm either.
Shahar is one of a long list of Newcastle signings who have been brought to the north east with the future in mind. Since the 2021 takeover, focus has been shifted significantly to bolster the club’s youth ranks, in the hope they can save the club millions in the years to come.
Shahar, Sanusi, Rory Finneran, Alfie Harrison, Charlie McArthur, Alex Murphy, Sam Alabi and Michael Mills are all being tipped for a bright future – whether that is in Newcastle’s first-team or elsewhere after being sold on for a profit.
View news Source: https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/eddie-howe-hands-surprise-opportunity-30996886
