According to Chronicle Live, Newcastle United manager, Steve Bruce, has admitted that he is keeping a close eye on U23 duo Victor Fernandez and Jack Young, with a possible call-up to the senior ranks on the cards.
Bruce has insisted that the pathway from the academy to the first-team at St.James’ Park is still wide open (h/t Chronicle Live).
The former Man United legend was in attendance during Newcastle U23s 2-2 draw against Middlesbrough on Tuesday, as Neil Redfearn’s side came back from being 2-0 down to rescue a crucial point.
As per the report, Bruce is completely open to the idea of incorporating more academy talent in the first-team after the raging success of the Longstaff brothers in the Premier League.
Sean has been there since last season but Matty Longstaff, who was handed his league debut against Man United last month, grabbed his opportunity with both hands with a well-taken goal.
With that in mind, the likes of Jack Young and Victor Fernandez are also worth a punt as far as Bruce’s first-team plans are concerned.
While Young stole the show against Middlesbrough, Fernandez was instrumental in the 2-0 victory over local rivals Sunderland in the Premier Leauge 2 Division 2 last week, with the Spaniard winning a penalty and scoring a goal to grab the headlines in the derby clash.
Born in Barcelona, Fernandez started his development at Spanish outfit Cornelia before being snapped up by Newcastle three years ago.
The 21-year-old, who is predominantly a right-footed winger with explosive pace and sound technical abilities, has been a part of the club’s U23 ranks since the 2016-17 season, accumulating 2 goals and 3 assists in 30 appearances.
He is still awaiting his professional debut, however, he has suffered numerous injury setbacks over the course of his stay at the club.
Jack Young, on the other hand, is a completely homebred prospect and is currently in his second season at the U23 level, having made the transition from the U18s in the previous campaign.
A central midfielder with a good engine and an impressive passing range, the 19-year-old has made an impression with his tenacious style of play and eye for goal.
With attackers like Joelinton and Allan Saint-Maximin failing to pay any significant dividends so far, Bruce desperately needs to find a way to improve the results.
To that end, promoting some promising talents from the club’s academy would be a gamble worth taking.
The central midfield and the attack are two areas where the Magpies need quality and the youngsters definitely deserve a chance.
Whether or not such a gamble would pay off is worth debating but there’s no harm in trying.
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