Newcastle United coach sees progress after Milan, PSG and Dortmund tests as pride taken in academy debuts

Ben Dawson reflected on the steep learning curve Newcastle United’s academy players and staff have experienced after the Magpies Under-21s ended a historic season by lifting the Northumberland Senior Cup.

A United side containing the likes of Lucas De Bolle, Jay Turner-Cooke and Dylan Stephenson battled their way to a 2-1 win against Northern League Division Two champions Blyth Town on a drizzly night at St James Park on Tuesday night. That rounded off a season of contrasting emotions on a positive note - but there have been significant challenges experienced by Dawson and academy coaches at all age levels.

The first-team’s qualification for the Champions League ensured the Magpies Under-19s would compete in the UEFA Youth League for the first time as they face against their counterparts from Paris Saint-Germain, Borussia Dortmund and AC Milan in the group stage of the competition. After losing their opening three games, the young Magpies claimed a draw in Dortmund before taking six points from an away day in Paris and the home game with AC Milan. Alongside the Under-21’s annual involvement in the EFL Trophy, the United prospects have endured multiple challenges throughout the campaign - and Dawson insisted they have now been given a hint of the levels they will be required to hit if they are to force their way into United’s senior setup.

He told NewcastleWorld after the win: “One of things we said to the lads tonight was, as much as results haven’t always gone our way this season, our best performances have come on the biggest stages. So I go back to those Youth League games, we were probably rabbit in the headlights in the first one away at Milan and you’re up against a team that got beat in the final so it shows you how good they were.

“But we gradually grew into the competition, played really well, deserved more from a couple of the games, got a couple of wins and we ended that campaign positively - but those European games, the EFL (Trophy) games, they give you something different that the lads aren’t used to. But they are going to need that experience if the club continues to go on the trajectory it is on at the moment.”

Dawson stressed it is not just the Magpies youngsters that have learnt from their experiences during the season as the academy staff have also had to overcome several challenges throughout the campaign.

When asked if the Magpies coaches had learnt from similar fixtures, he replied: “Massively, massively both from a tactical point of view, getting used to referees and the officiating is different. In all of the competitions we’ve played in it’s been different levels, it’s thrown up different challenges, the challenge for coaches when we’ve got 40-odd games, not loads of players, so how do you then do the work, they’re still developing so how do we get time on the pitch with them. It’s been a real challenge but one that everybody within the academy has really enjoyed.”

Overall, Dawson reflected on a number of successes over the last nine months as his ranks were depleted by a number of senior call-ups. The injury crisis that decimated Eddie Howe’s first-team squad saw the likes of Amadou Diallo, Alex Murphy, Joe White and Ben Parkinson handed Premier League debuts and several Magpies youngsters have also enjoyed positive loan spells away from St James Park.

Dawson reflected positively on such achievements - despite conceding the hectic nature of the season had been ‘a real test for everybody’ with the academy setup.

He said: “There have been plenty of ups and downs. I think we’ve played 40-odd games, I think the Under-18s have played similar. We’ve had a small group between the two groups to select from. We’ve supported the first-team when that’s been needed, it’s been a real test for everybody, staff and players.

“But I go back to players making Premier League debuts, players making squads and benches in Premier League, Champions League and cup games. Lads going on loan and coming back, like Joe White, (he) comes back and contributes to the first-team group. We can be really pleased with all of those successes.”