Lewis Miley continues to grow into a top-quality player at Newcastle United, and his development is massively important for the club.
While we’ve seen glimpses of Lewis Miley’s quality over the last couple of years, his run of form right now has seen him take his game to the next level.
How much do you think Lewis Miley would now be worth in the transfer market? ⭐
He should be an outside bet for England's World Cup squad!
Not only is he thriving in central midfield, Miley has even shown versatility in recent weeks by filling in at right-back. He’s done such a good job there, in fact, that fans think Miley could solve Newcastle’s lack of defensive depth and save the club a few million in the transfer market.
Having young talent progress through the ranks at Newcastle United is so valuable to the club and the fans, and now one of the coaches on Tyneside has revealed just how special the emergence of Miley has been.
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Newcastle United youth coach loves Lewis Miley’s progress
Speaking to Chronicle Live, Newcastle United youth coach Adam Lawrence explained how Miley has become a shining example for his Under-21 players this season.
He said: “Lewis is definitely the example to follow. I think the good thing with Lewis is that a lot of the lads will know him and they are close enough to see what his journey has been like and how he managed to break through into the first-team set up. It feels a bit more real and a bit more fresh.
“To have played as many games at his age, in a type of team at the level he has played at, is obviously testament to him.”
Miley recently hit 50 senior appearances for the Magpies despite only being 19-years-old and that’s something Lawrence wants the players in the Newcastle United academy to strive towards.
“That is ultimately what we are trying to do. We are trying to produce the highest level players for the biggest stages of domestic and European football, which is very tough to do,” Lawrence added. “Lewis has shown it is possible and achievable and obviously with him being a local lad, it’s that bit more special for the supporters, the academy and the club as a whole.”
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Lewis Miley is BETTER than Elliot Anderson was at his age. Prove me wrong 👀
Why Newcastle need more success with academy talent
In truth, the list of recent academy graduates at Newcastle is pretty short. Before Miley, there was Elliot Anderson, who has gone on to great things since joining Nottingham Forest. Anderson’s development has frustrated Newcastle fans, who think he should never have been sold in the first place.
Before that, we’ve seen the likes of Paul Dummett and Sean Longstaff emerge from the academy. Neither of them were necessarily top-class players, but they always did what was expected of them and played with the passion needed to represent Newcastle at the highest level.
There simply has to be a better production line at Newcastle from here on out. Miley cannot be the anomaly; he needs to be the blueprint for many, many more players to come.
Indeed, PIF plan to turn the academy into a profit centre in the future, developing young talent to sell on. Fans may not like that idea so much, especially after the Anderson situation, but the fact of the matter is that this is exactly how clubs like Chelsea and Man City have been able to flourish.
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