Newcastle United's goalkeeping department has been bolstered by senior signings, but a healthy competition is emerging at academy level with two 16-year-old talents seen among the best young goalkeepers in the country.
Roman Dowell and George Mair, both England under-17 internationals, have each played five matches this term across the Premier League 2, the under-18 Premier League, the Vertu Motors Trophy and the National League Cup. Dowell has now received his first call-up to the England under-18 set-up.
Dowell stars in York City win
Dowell started the 3-1 win over League Two high-fliers York City in the Vertu Motors Trophy, keeping the young Magpies in the game with three stunning saves in the first half with United 1-0 down. He acrobatically clawed out Zech Medley's header from the top corner before twice denying Jovan Malcolm from point-blank range.
Goals from Vakhtang Salia, Kyran Thompson and Afner Ca secured the win, giving Robbie Stockdale's side a platform ahead of further group games against Bradford City and Rotherham United. Stockdale was impressed with how Dowell handled the occasion.
"Roman will be really pleased with his night," Stockdale told Chronicle Live. "I actually thought he was really calm with the ball as well. He kicked a little bit longer tonight because they were man-to-man press. But we've got some really good goalkeepers in the PDP [professional development programme] and they're all at a level where they push each other as well."
Competition drives development
Mair was on the bench at the LNER Community Stadium, and Dowell said the competition helps them push each other on as he looks to get more exposure playing in stadiums against first teams, ahead of a potential loan move in the future.
"Training sessions every day are competitive," Dowell told Chronicle Live. "I'm in it with George, we get on, but in training it's like who's beating who. I don't think we'd be as good without each other, because we push each other every day ridiculous amounts. That's massive in both our developments."
"I think the last two games, that's probably been the most I've enjoyed my football in so long. I think there's a bit more on it, and it's a men's team, there's a lot of fans, I think I personally play up to that a bit. I quite like that, but I'm just really happy with where I am and I'm hopeful to kick on."
"I think it really helps in terms of when I want to go on loan next year, I'll have that every week, so playing in it early and experiencing it, there's nothing bad that comes from it, even if I don't play well, I'll still take a lot from it."
Pathway planning
There is also 15-year-old Lucas Flack, who joined from Leyton Orient, making waves at academy level and already involved in the under-18 squad. The man in charge of development is Newcastle's head of academy goalkeeping Tony Caig, who spoke about the challenge of getting the pathway right in an interview with Chronicle Live back in March.
"The plan stays consistent," Caig said. "I think there's a reason we've got to this point as well because they've been a part of the programme. The level of ability and commitment, if it matches the programme and they're constantly moving forward, then good things will happen and I think that's what we've seen with George and Roman."
"The challenge going forward for them is to keep developing at that rate of knots that they have done at the moment so that's on us to put the right challenge in front of them now."
"So what does that look like going forwards when they are with us in a real full-time environment and that could change month to month potentially because you're constantly reviewing how they're getting on and you tend to find as well when they're that young, no two days look the same from a training perspective."
"Our consistent messages and holding the standards high and holding them to account on those levels in a safe way help them keep developing on that pathway."
"Then eventually the point in time will come where the conversations for them might come around for a loan but I don't know when that is."
"There's a lot of experience in this building and there's a lot of conversations to have when it's the right time and then when it's the right time, what's the right level, what's the right kind of club, right kind of goalkeeping coach right kind of manager and are they in a good place to go now?"
"That's the decision making process, so the two younger goalkeepers will have to go through this now for the next 12 to 18 months to two years and we'll assess where they are."
"Because goalkeeping, technically and tactically, they might be OK but we need to make sure psychologically they're robust enough to be able to handle a men's dressing room, a men's environment, supporters who want to see the team win whatever level that is. There's an expectation on the goalkeepers as well so those will be things that we'll assess as time goes by."
For now, Dowell and Mair will share responsibilities across under-21 and under-18 level, giving them both equal exposure to regular football. With two top young goalkeepers at first team level being supplemented by two exciting talents at academy level beneath them, the future looks promising for Newcastle.
