Eddie Howe hopes the 'talented' youngsters who featured in Newcastle United's friendly win against Al Hilal will play an 'important part' in the club's future.
Dylan Stephenson, Joe White, Jay Turner-Cooke, Alex Murphy and 16-year-old Lewis Miley all got a taste of first-team action after coming off the bench in the 5-0 win at the Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium on Thursday. It was a night the quintet will never forget and Stephenson even marked the occasion with a goal after scoring Newcastle's fifth following a smart finish in the 86th minute.
With his World Cup contingent absent, Howe was keen to take a look at the club's hottest prospects as well as putting his first-team regulars through their paces in Riyadh. The Newcastle boss, in the process, has sent an important message to the academy after already giving Elliot Anderson his chance in the Premier League.
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"When you go on trips like this, you're looking to benefit not just the first team but the staff and also giving academy players an opportunity as part of what we want to do on a regular basis," he told NUFC TV.
"So great for them. They all deserve it individually. They have all had different journeys to get here, but they have got an important part to play in our future hopefully. How much of that is going to be down to them and how they progress from here, but they have all got talent and they have all got something to offer."
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