Newcastle United midfielder Rory Finneran has made a strong start to his loan spell at Notts County, with BBC Radio Nottingham's Adam Hassell suggesting he could eventually play in the Premier League.
The 18-year-old joined the League One side in August and was immediately placed in Martin Paterson's starting XI within 24 hours of signing. Clips of his performances have gone viral on social media, with fans dubbing him 'Baby Tonali' due to his resemblance to former Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali.
Impressing at Meadow Lane
Finneran has become a mainstay in the County side and has excelled at League One level. Hassell believes the teenager plays with the mind of someone much older.
"He plays with the mind of somebody 10, 15 years older," Hassell said. "He's got such intelligence. He knows exactly where to be and exactly where everybody is around him."
Hassell added that Finneran is "a class above League One already" when he is on form, and that he would be "absolutely surprised if he didn't end up playing in the Premier League at some point."
Loan Move Benefits All Parties
Notts County have a track record of nurturing loan players, including Tom Iorpenda from Huddersfield last season, who has since moved to Swansea in the Championship. Hassell noted that the club has a proven ability to take players in and make them better over a full season.
"I think Notts have got such a proven ability of being able to take players like that in and keep them for a full term and make them better at the end of it," he said.
Finneran, who is a full Republic of Ireland international, is set to feature for their under-21 side in tonight's European Championship play-off against Finland. Hassell believes he has the capability to break through at Newcastle, but acknowledged the difficulty of doing so with an established Premier League squad.
"I think in two, three years, he might be good enough then for the Premier League," Hassell said. "He might be able to make it. I think he's got the capability."
