Former Newcastle United academy defender Ciaran Thompson has expressed excitement about moving into senior football after his departure from the club. The 21-year-old spent eight years at Newcastle, joining at age 13, but never made a competitive first-team debut.
Ready for a new challenge
Thompson told Chronicle Live: "I am really excited. I've been at Newcastle for eight years now, since the age of 13, so I think I am ready for a new challenge now. I feel prepared for it. I feel like I'm ready for senior football now because it has been my fifth season with the Under-21s so I am raring to go and get started in the senior game."
He highlighted cup competitions against EFL and National League sides as key experiences: "Being in the Under-21s team, they are the games (National League Cup and Vertu Motors Trophy) that you look forward to the most. They're the most challenging and I don't like using this term, but I will, but it's proper football. We relish those games and if that's where the future lies, I'm really excited."
Career highlights
Thompson captained Newcastle's Under-21s, following in the footsteps of Kelland Watts and Cathal Heffernan. He also featured in first-team training and played in a post-season friendly against an Australian A-League XI in May 2024, alongside Mark Gillespie and Alex Murphy.
Rubbing shoulders with stars like Bruno Guimaraes gave him insight into top-level demands: "Not everyone gets a chance to captain their boyhood club, especially at Under-21s level. I feel like it helped me mature as a player and being the captain filled me with immense pride. Making my debut in Australia for the first-team, that experience going away with seasoned professionals and senior players, the likes of Bruno and Alexander Isak, that was the highlight of my time with the academy."
He added: "When you go and train with the first-team, it's full of world class players and really good coaches. We used to play a lot of 11-vs-11 games, us against the first-team, and you could see the technical and tactical difference so that was a challenge. It gives you an eye-opener into what the highest level of football looks like and I think I speak for every player when I say it's where every player wants to be."
Coaching influence
Thompson praised Under-21s lead coach Robbie Stockdale: "In terms of a coach, I'd highlight Robbie Stockdale. Me and him really got on and he really prepares us for the next step. Since Robbie first came in as the assistant to Diarmuid O'Carroll, for all of the boys, you could see the difference with their partnership together. They'd been in a first-team environment so they treated us like a first-team player. That will stand us in good stead for the next challenge."
Stockdale, a former Middlesbrough and Tranmere Rovers full-back, was appointed permanent lead coach in March after interim spells.
Inspiration from Owen Bailey
Thompson cited former Newcastle academy product Owen Bailey as an inspiration. Bailey captained the Under-21s before joining Gateshead in 2021, helping them win the National League North title and reach the FA Trophy final. He later moved to Doncaster Rovers in 2023, where he has scored 24 goals and provided 15 assists in 168 appearances over three seasons.
Thompson said: "I've been in the academy for a long time now so I used to see Owen Bailey train and play - and he came in not too long ago to do a little talk with the lads at the end of the season. He's someone I get a little bit of inspiration from because he's come out of the academy system, he went to Gateshead, he played a lot of games and then got his move to Doncaster. I think he's a player I can take inspiration from."
Next steps
With family support, Thompson is assessing options: "Even at grassroots, my family would come to every training session, every game, and they could see how much hard work I've put into being a professional footballer. Leaving the academy, they couldn't have been any more supportive. They're always asking how I'm doing, how I'm getting on and they're trying to sort out my next steps."
He added: "I've got interest but there's nothing concrete yet. I'm just trying to keep myself ticking away and keeping myself so I'm ready and fit to go into a club when I can."
