Over recent years, the Newcastle United academy system has gained a reputation for being up there with some of the very best in the country for the talent they produce.
Countless players have developed through the ranks and either made a huge impact on the senior side or been offloaded for a mega profit in their hunt to avoid punishment from the Premier League.
Lewis Miley is the latest player to be the beneficiary of the Magpies’ impressive youth ranks, with the 20-year-old starting all five of Matthias Jaissle’s league games at the helm.
However, he may have found minutes harder to come by under the German had the hierarchy kept hold of another prospect who emerged out of the club’s academy.
Why Anderson would have been perfect for Jaissle’s system
During the early stages of Jaissle’s tenure at Newcastle, he’s operated with a high-intensity possession-based system – helping the Magpies lose just once in the Premier League to date.
He would no doubt have loved to have had the opportunity to have worked with Elliot Anderson, but the club’s decision to offload him prevented the German from such a luxury.
In the two years since his departure from his boyhood club, the 23-year-old has taken his career to astronomical levels – subsequently joining Manchester City for £116m this summer.
His stats from the current campaign at the Etihad demonstrate his quality at the heart of the side, and showcase why he would have thrived within Jaissle’s current system.
Anderson has averaged a staggering 22.8 line-breaking passes per 90 this campaign, the highest of any player in England’s top-flight throughout 2026/27.
Such numbers demonstrate his remarkable ability to develop the play from deep-lying positions, something which the Magpies have craved over recent weeks.
Without the ball, the England international has been just as impressive, subsequently making 1.7 interceptions per 90 – also placing him within the top 10% of players in the division.
How Newcastle could find their next Geordie Maradona
Given his remarkable dribbling ability during the early stages of his professional career, the Newcastle fans handed Anderson the nickname of the Geordie Maradona.
His ability to get out of tight spaces has still been evident in his new midfield role, with the Magpies wishing they had a player of his calibre in the present day.
Miley is the next player who could emulate the academy star, but he’s not the only player who could become a huge asset to Jaissle in the years ahead.
18-year-old Rory Finneran is another player who could be set for a huge future on Tyneside, with the teenage midfielder the latest in a long line of promising prospects.
The Irishman, who arrived from Blackburn Rovers in the summer of 2024, has spent the last two seasons in the club’s U18 and U21 setups – amassing a total of 46 appearances in the last two years.
However, this season he’s been handed an opportunity to star in the professional game, subsequently joining League One side Notts County on loan for the 2026/27 campaign.
As a result, the youngster has emulated Anderson in taking his first steps into the professional game following his own loan spell to Bristol Rovers in 2021/22.
During his first five appearances for the Magpies, Finneran has demonstrated his quality at both ends of the pitch and showcased similarities to the current Man City star.
|
Rory Finneran – Notts County stats |
|
|---|---|
|
Stat |
Per 90 |
|
Shots |
0.40 |
|
Shots on target |
0.17 |
|
Key passes |
0.13 |
|
Chances created |
0.21 |
|
Tackles |
2.80 |
|
Interceptions |
0.60 |
|
Clearances |
2.00 |
|
Fouls committed |
0.60 |
|
Fouls won |
5.80 |
He’s managed to complete 71% of the dribbles he’s attempted during his current loan spell, which demonstrates his excellent ability to get himself out of tight spaces.
Such a quality has been evident in Anderson’s game over recent years and enabled him to receive the nickname of the Geordie Maradona within the Newcastle faithful.
As for Finneran, he’s also displayed his phenomenal ability without the ball this term, subsequently making an impressive tally of 2.8 successful tackles per 90.
Such a figure, alongside his tally of 6.4 ball recoveries per 90, highlights his ability to disrupt the opposition’s progress – just as Anderson has done in the Premier League.
Undoubtedly, there’s a long way to go before the Irish star reaches the levels achieved by the former Magpie, but the early signs in his professional career are extremely encouraging.
He will need time to further adapt to the demands of the professional game, but there’s no reason why he can’t become Newcastle’s next version of the £116m man in the years ahead.
