Newcastle boss lays down first-team challenge to star…

Newcastle boss lays down first-team challenge to star who has already 'impressed' Eddie Howe

Newcastle United interim under-21s boss Ben Dawson has challenged Joe White to prove he deserves a place in Eddie Howe's squad next season. The talented playmaker will reunite with Gary Caldwell and spend the second half of this season on loan at Exeter City.

White agreed a three-year deal with the Magpies in March last year, and got his first taste of senior competitive football on loan with Hartlepool United. Injuries prevented the 20-year-old from heading out again in the summer, although the midfielder was one of five academy prospects to join Howe's squad for the mid-season training camp in Saudi Arabia.

The Newcastle head coach has previously spoken of being 'impressed' by White, although the rising star went on to endure a mixed spell at Victoria Park last term. The attacking midfielder registered three assists in 16 appearances, and Dawson believes the 'difficult' first experience could prove useful for the latest loan spell.

Elliot Anderson enjoyed a hugely successful stint in League Two at the same time, helping Bristol Rovers secure promotion. Dawson does not believe the loans are comparable however, and the interim academy boss is keen for White to show his quality and gain the confidence required to give Howe a tough decision in the summer.

Dawson told ChronicleLive: "I think with a lot of young players, the first loan is always really difficult for them. You look at Elliot's last year, it works for him but he'd had almost two years in that first-team environment.

"He kind of knew the expectations going in, Joe was little bit different where he hadn't had that exposure and went out into a first-team environment and it's all a bit new. It takes a bit of getting used to, so we hope that experience as much as he might think it didn't go that well, it might have actually set him up to go and do the things we know he's good at.

"I think with Gary, he knows him well when he had interim charge with the U21s. He'll try to play to Joe's strengths, he needs to be on the ball.

"Those players in the dressing room will put some demands on Joe that he needs that he maybe doesn't get with the U21s. We just hope that he comes back having played a load of games, matured, improved as player and comes back with a little more confidence to start the challenge of either [earning] a spot in the squad or a better loan at the start of next season."

Newcastle boss lays down first-team challenge to star who has already 'impressed' Eddie Howe

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