Which Newcastle United players would get in your 2025/26 North East team of the season?
Leaving aside individuals for a moment.
Middlesbrough ended the season 5th in the Championship on 80 points. They then have the claim to fame of having then lost on aggregate in the play-off semi-finals to Southampton, as well as losing to Hull City in the final at Wembley after the (not so Saintly…) Saints were kicked out.
Newcastle United ended the season 12th in the Premier League on 49 points.
While Sunderland finished on 54 points and in seventh place in the top tier.
Like most Newcastle United fans I can’t say I saw much of Middlesbrough this past season, so difficult to judge on their individual players.
To be honest, I didn’t watch that much more of the Mackems.
However, some local journalists do have an advantage, as they have to often cover more than one of the region’s clubs.
One of those is Scott Wilson of the Northern Echo, who has picked his North East Team of the Season and included two Newcastle players….
GOALKEEPER
Robin Roefs (Sunderland)
DEFENDERS
Nordi Mukiele (Sunderland)
Luke Ayling (Middlesbrough)
Dan Ballard (Sunderland)
Lewis Hall (Newcastle United)
‘He might have missed out on the World Cup squad, but Hall still had an excellent domestic season with Newcastle, confirming his status as one of the country’s leading left-backs.
His defensive play has improved since he joined the Magpies from Chelsea, but it is his athletic forward running that is the real high point of his game, enabling Newcastle to launch attacks down their left-hand side.’
MIDFIELDERS
Hayden Hackney (Middlesbrough)
Granit Xhaka (Sunderland)
Bruno Guimaraes (Newcastle United)
‘Sometimes, you only appreciate what you’ve got when it’s gone. The minute Guimaraes was missing from Newcastle’s starting side, performances nosedived and results tailed off.
In a difficult season on Tyneside, the Magpies’ Brazilian skipper remained the heartbeat of the team. His nine Premier League goals made him Newcastle’s leading scorer, but his drive, energy and ferocious will to win were even more important.’
FORWARDS
Trai Hume (Sunderland)
Brian Brobbey (Sunderland)
Enzo Le Fee (Sunderland)
SUBSTITUTES:
Sol Brynn, Malick Thiaw, Adilson Malanda, Noah Sadiki, Aidan Morris, Anthony Gordon, Morgan Whittaker