NEWCASTLE UNITED UNDER-21s lost their opening game in the EFL Trophy last night, going down 1-0 to League Two Wrexham at the Racecourse Ground.

Which of the Magpies’ youngsters caught the eye in North Wales?


AMADOU DIALLO

Diallo was the standout player on both sides by a considerable distance, with his dribbling ability and eye for a pass causing a series of problems for the Wrexham defence.

A 20-year-old left winger, Diallo joined Newcastle last October after having been released by West Ham, where he started his career in the youth ranks.

A former England Under-17 international, he had a purple patch in the latter stages of the first half of last night’s game, delivering a superb pass that should have resulted in a goal for Dylan Stephenson and firing in two fine efforts that forced saves from Wrexham goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo.

His potential is obvious – very few players possess the raw pace he can call upon, particularly when he has the ball at his feet – but Newcastle Under-21s head coach Ben Dawson admits he needs to start adding an end product to his game if he is to progress through the ranks.

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Dawson said: “We see what he’s got Monday to Friday, and then come a Saturday, he almost looks at times as though he’s got the weight of the world on his shoulders.

“We just said to him ahead of the game, ‘Look, there’s going to be a record crowd in, and don’t take this the wrong way, but they’re not here to watch you, so just go and play. Go and enjoy the experience, and make sure that by the end of the game, they know who you are’.

“He’s done that, so fair play to him. He’s taken that on board and looked really threatening. We now need to get him to the point where he’s adding some end product to what he’s doing.”


JAMIE MILEY

Lewis Miley might have hit the headlines in the latter stages of last season as he burst onto the first-team scene, most notably when he struck the crossbar on his Premier League debut at Chelsea.

His elder brother, Jamie, remains in the Under-21 ranks, but like his sibling, he is a central midfielder of considerable potential, as highlighted by his composed display last night.

Spending most of his time playing in the ‘number ten’ role behind lone striker, Stephenson, Miley was neat and tidy in possession and regularly looked to thread balls through to the players ahead of him.

He had a couple of efforts on goal himself, and while neither beat Okonkwo in the Wrexham goal, he looks a player capable of adding goals to his repertoire.

He wore the captain’s armband last night, underlining the esteem in which he is held within the academy, and given that he does not turn 20 until January, he still has plenty of time in which to develop and improve.


REMI SAVAGE

It was always going to be tough for Newcastle’s youngsters to come up against a Wrexham side full of seasoned campaigners who have been making their mark on League Two this season.

It’s especially difficult for young defenders to try to contain experienced Football League attackers, but centre-half Savage did a good job of keeping Wrexham’s forward line in check.

A Liverpudlian who began his career in the Anfield youth ranks, Savage made the switch across to Tyneside in the summer of 2021 and has spent the last two years playing in Newcastle’s academy set-up.

A tall, athletic centre-half, Savage was not fazed by the threat posed by Wrexham’s starting strikers, Sam Dalby and Billy Waters, and continued to give as good as he got when the hosts introduced their number nine, Ollie Palmer, in the second half.

He also caught the eye with the ball at his feet, retaining possession neatly despite often being under pressure as a result of the Wrexham press. Much bigger tests lie ahead, but the 21-year-old undoubtedly has potential.