These four young Newcastle United stars have proved exceptional for the England Under 18s.
The young Three Lions are competing in the UEFA Friendship Cup in Switzerland during the September and October international window.
The England Under 18s having now completed their three group matches and set for their semi-final on Saturday after ending the group stage with a perfect record.
The eight-team tournament is being hosted by UEFA at their base in Nyon.
The opening group match for the England Under 18s was played last Thursday against Colombia in a match which proved to be a five goal thriller.
Three rising young United stars were included in the starting eleven and all of them played key roles in the eventual 3-2 victory. Two of the young Newcastle talents combined for the opening goal. Michael Mills is an 17-year-old winger who NUFC picked up from Port Vale at the age of 14, he netted the opening goal against Colombia and getting the assist was Kyran Thompson. The exciting attacking player turned 17 this month and turned down a contract at Arsenal to move to United. NUFC’s exciting 17-year-old midfielder Sam Alabi arrived from the bench on 64 minutes as one of three subs and he impressed as he helped England see out the win. The clear man of the match though was Newcastle United’s 16-year-old goalkeeper Roman Dowell, who made some excellent early saves to prevent Colombia going in front, then more of the same across the game, before finally with two minutes to go he made the save of the match to deny Colombia a 3-3 draw.
Then on Monday, to give as many players as possible game time, a very different England Under 18s team took on Egypt in the second group game. Newcastle keeper Roman Dowell sitting this one out, whilst the three NUFC outfield players came off the bench in that second group match. Ryan Kavuma-McQueen gave England a 15th minute lead but a tight game ensued. A lot of chances at both ends but just when the England Under 18s thought they were going to close out a 1-0 victory, Egypt struck with 79 minutes on the clock. That goal pushed the opposition into the ascendancy but a superb counter-attack won it for England on 82 minutes.
Under the cosh, England youth broke out of defence and Jaydene Greenwood played a through ball, Newcastle United’s Michael Mills (pictured below when signing for United three years ago as a 14-year-old) had only been on the pitch five minutes and he brilliantly raced clear of the defence before coolly beating the goalkeeper to wrap up the three points.
That final group match for the England Under 18s was against Korea Republic this morning (Wednesday 30 September).
A perfect group stage record as they made it three wins out of three with yet another victory.
It wasn’t easy though and the England Under 18s were indebted to the Newcastle United quartet who all started this match today against the Korea Republic.
United’s Kyran Thompson going closest for England early on, the Newcastle winger cut inside from the right wing before curling a shot just over the crossbar.
The wings carried England’s biggest threats and Newcastle’s Michael Mills was on the left, his powerful effort missing the target from a tight angle.
When the breakthrough eventually came in the 57th minute though, it came from the England midfield.
United’s Sam Alabi (pictured at the top of this report) with a brilliant powerful strike from 25 yards to give England the lead.
The clear man of the match though was in goal for the England Under 18s, Roman Dowell.
The 16-year-old Newcastle United keeper was outstanding and looks to have a stellar future ahead of him as he progresses in club and international football.
He saved England time and time again this morning throughout the contest, the pick of which was when a top class stop in a one on one prevented what had looked a certain goal.
The Korea Republic eventually did manage to beat Roman Dowell, an equaliser from Ji-Seong Lim in the 70th minute.
The NUFC keeper then kept England level as Korea Republic were in the ascendancy and looked far more likely to get a late winner.
However, just when it looked like the efforts of the Newcastle United quartet would need to settle for a draw, it was England who won the game in the 90th minute through a goal from Ryan Kavuma-McQueen.
So England top group A and now wait to see who they will face in the semi-finals of this UEFA tournament on Saturday.
England team: 1 Roman Dowell (Newcastle United), 2 Oscar Sandiford (Tottenham Hotspur), 16 Gabriel Sambou (Chelsea), 23 Oliver Wilkinson (Ipswich Town), 3 Calvin Diakite (Chelsea), 20 Sam Alabi (Newcastle United), 11 Kyran Thompson (Newcastle United), 10 Erik Farkas (Liverpool), 8 Max Little (Southampton), 14 Michael Mills (Newcastle United), 9 Jashayde Greenwood (Chelsea)
Substitutions: 15 Hugo De Lisle (Leicester City) for Little 46’, 7 Ryan Kavuma-McQueen (Portsmouth, loan from Chelsea) for Mills 60’, 18 Samuel Alker (Leeds United) for Farkas 60’, 12 Jake Wain (Manchester City) for Diakite 60’, Phoenix Offiah (Tottenham Hotspur) for Greenwood 60’, 21 Reon Smith (West Ham United) for Wilkinson 60’, 17 Ajay Tavares (FC Barcelona) for Thompson 72’, 4 Freddie Lawrie (Manchester City) for Sambou 72’
Some great work going on in the younger age levels at Newcastle United, time and resources put into recruiting the best young talent locally and across the UK, as well as from overseas.
There are some great young players with real first team potential for the future and the England Under 18s also the beneficiaries now.