Newcastle United latest transfer promise & training ground insight into ‘superb’ £30m signing
Eddie Howe handed out three full debuts to Newcastle United players against Manchester City on Wednesday night.
Tino Livramento, Lewis Hall and Lewis Miley all started their first competitive game for the club as Newcastle claimed a 1-0 win over Man City at St James’ Park.
Teenagers Hall and Miley were withdrawn at half-time to be replaced by established first-team players in Bruno Guimaraes and Anthony Gordon in a double change that ultimately saw the game swing in United’s favour as Alexander Isak scored the only goal of the game eight minutes after the restart.
But Livramento, who has had to be patient for his opportunity since arriving from Southampton for £30million in the summer, was named man of the match on his first start.
Assessing the 20-year-old’s performance at right-back, Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe said: “I thought he did really well. It was a tough game against Jack Grealish who is an unbelievable player and Tino defended really, really well a lot of the time and was really aggressive and on the front foot to deal with it really well.
“His main strength historically has been his attacking intent and his ability to run with the ball and we saw flashes of that in the second half but I thought it was a really good debut for him.”
Livramento missed almost all of last season at Southampton as he recovered from an ACL injury but is now back fully fit and ready to make an impact at Newcastle as Kieran Trippier’s right-back understudy.
“He’s been very, very good [behind the scenes],” Howe added. “I don’t think you’re able to come in and give that performance if you’re not training well and you’re not applying yourself to your work.
“He has been superb and has understood his position and he’s come back from a long-term injury as well so you have to take that into account.
“This period where he’s learning how the team plays, learning about the players he’s playing with and it’s a really good moment for you if you look at it that way and when you get your chance you have to take it and he’s done that.”
Analysing his other two full debutants, Howe admitted it was a ‘difficult experience’ for academy star Miley and Chelsea loanee Hall against the treble-winners.
“I was pleased with both players but it was a very difficult half for us and we knew we were slightly unbalanced,” The Magpies boss continued. “It’s not a reflection on the players who came off but I had to do something to give us the best chance to win the game.”
Hall joined Newcastle on loan from Chelsea as the club’s final signing of the summer transfer window. The Magpies have an obligation to buy the 19-year-old for £28million at the end of the season.
And Howe is sure both Hall and Miley will establish themselves in Newcastle’s first team in the years to come.
“They’re both going to be top players for us, I have no doubt about that. Sometimes with a difficult experience, which I imagine it would have been for both players, you can grow a lot from that.
“It could be a really good thing looking back in a couple of years for both of them.”
Newcastle will face holders Manchester United away in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup in just over a month’s time.
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