Newcastle United have signed Watford youngster Abdulmalik Bamgbola as the club look to improve their Academy prospects.
The left-sided centre-back has spent the last three seasons with the Hornets, but now goes into the system at Newcastle as Academy chief Steve Harper continues his policy of bringing in other talents from rival clubs. The 15-year-old will go straight into the club's Under-16 squad and look to impress as Newcastle aim to build a positive future.
Academy progress and emerging talents
Currently, Newcastle's big success story is Lewis Miley and younger brother Mason Miley who are first-team squad members while centre-back Henry Johnson is also training with the seniors. Newcastle have an incredibly exciting cohort of U18s which also includes Michael Mills, who they brought in from Port Vale and who was on the bench against Hull City, alongside Mason Miley, Vakhatang Salia and Kyran Thompson, the 17-year-old who swapped Arsenal for Tyneside in the summer.
Harper, who has been in charge of the Academy since 2021, feels that Newcastle's youth set-up is still playing catch-up, hence captures such as Bamgbola from a Championship side, Thompson and other summer recruits Christian Boothe and Kyle Healy-Matthews.
Harper on the academy's catch-up mission
Harper told The Athletic at the start of the season: "Some of the ‘superpowers’ have had a 10- or 12-year headstart on us. We’re in the outside lane, flying down the motorway to catch up, but they’re not pulling into a service station and waiting for us to catch them. In five years, we’ve made massive progress."
And on signing players from other clubs, Harper went on: "If there were players ready now for that opportunity within the academy, we wouldn’t need to sign those players. When we’re paying multiple-million pounds for 20-year-olds, you need to realise the expectations are that you need to be ready earlier. You can’t waste a day. It’s a message we consistently repeat."
"But 12 to 18 months is a long time in football and we have to make sure the players we have coming through are ready by then. That’s our role. The academy is more important than ever and the financial rules certainly play a part of dictating that."
"We work hard to get the boys ready for an opportunity and, when it comes, it’s up to them. Hopefully the seed has been planted so that if and when they’re called upon, whether for the West Brom game (in the League Cup on Wednesday) or FA Cup ties, they’ve made a good impression."
"Somebody once said to me, ‘You can wait 10 years for an opportunity in football and blow it in 10 seconds.’ Fortunately, our lads haven’t."
Recent departures and current standings
Newcastle announced the release of Alfie Harrison, snapped up from Man City in 2022, in the summer after three years of no opportunities in a competitive match under Eddie Howe.
That hard work is continuing behind the scenes but Newcastle are currently 31st in the long-winded Premier League 2 table while the Under-18s are faring much better in the Barclays U18 Premier League (North Division) in second spot.
The Under-21s meanwhile lost 2-1 on Tuesday night against Solihull Moors in the National League Cup. Robbie Stockdale's side went ahead after just four minutes through Alfie Seldon who followed in after striker Afner Ca - another summer recruit - saw his effort rebound off the post. However the home side responded with goals either side of the break.
Stockdale's side are back in action on Friday night when they host Luton Town at Whitley Park (7pm).
