NEWCASTLE UNITED UNDER-21s head coach Ben Dawson is hoping his youngsters will benefit from the presence of the club’s senior players in the development-squad ranks this season.

Newcastle’s youngsters kicked off their EFL Trophy campaign with a 1-0 defeat at Wrexham last night, with a combination of international call-ups and loan departures meaning Dawson had to name an extremely youthful side that included 16-year-old goalkeeper Aidan Harris and did not feature a single player with first-team experience.

Last night’s game marked the start of a hectic spell for Newcastle’s academy teams, with matches in the EFL Trophy and Premier League 2 sharing the fixture list with the club’s inaugural appearance in the UEFA Youth League, which runs in parallel to the Champions League and will see a Magpies Under-19s side playing the same opponents that the senior side are facing in Europe’s premier competition.

Mark Gillespie, Matt Ritchie, Emil Krafth and Javier Manquillo have all been omitted from Newcastle’s Champions League squad, and while it remains to be seen whether they will be included on the Premier League squad that has to be submitted by September 13, there could well be scope for some of the Magpies’ fringe players to drop into the reserve ranks on occasion this season.

“It’ll ultimately be up to the manager and his staff, and they’ll be working on the premise of doing what’s best for the individual,” said Dawson. “But if any of them do drop in, then it’s always a bonus because they bring a bit of extra quality to the group and gives the younger lads an opportunity to have a role model.

“It gives them a chance to see how a senior player deals with matchdays and preparing for a game. We don’t expect it – but if it happens, it’s a nice bonus.”

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Newcastle’s youngsters performed creditably despite Tuesday’s result at the Racecourse Ground, with 20-year-old left winger Amadou Diallo proving especially impressive as he repeatedly asked questions of the Wrexham defence.

Diallo joined Newcastle last October after being released from West Ham, and looks capable of taking some significant steps forward this season.

“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,” said Dawson. “We just said to him ahead of the game, ‘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.”