Newcastle United Legend and U23s Manager ‘Excited’ With Magpies' Youth Prospects
Newcastle United fan favourite Peter Beardsley sang the praises of Newcastle’s young talents following the U23s hard fought 2-1 victory over Darlington.
Summer signings Stefan O’Connor and Josef Yarney formerly of Arsenal and Everton respectively starred as The Magpies reserve side overcame the Quakers at The Northern Echo Arena.
Beardsley had two spells at Newcastle during his playing career from 1983-81 and 1993-97, partnering Andy Cole up front in his second spell at the club. He was appointed Reserve Team Manager in 2010 and has helped establish Newcastle’s academy as a respected source of young talent.
Speaking to the The Shields Gazette, Beardsley took the opportunity to praise the Toon’s summer signings;
“Stefan was very good in the first half - him and Curtis made a good pair…To be fair to Josef he was really good, really powerful, strong.
27 Jan 1999: Peter Beardsley in action during his testimonial match between Newcastle United and Celtic played at St James's park in Newcastle, England. \ Mandatory Credit: Mike Hewitt /Allsport
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Asked about the quality of Newcastle’s youth players and the opportunity to assess their quality the former England international said;
“This is what we live for.
“That is what football is. It is an exciting time of year.
2 Sep 1999: England coach Peter Beardsley relaxes during preparation for the Euro 2000 qualifier against Luxembourg at Wembley Stadium, London. Mandatory Credit: Laurence Griffiths/ALLSPORT
Laurence Griffiths/GettyImages
“At every club at every level players are battling for places.
“You can see the difference - some are ahead of others but that’s normal.
“It’s exciting. I have 30 players at the moment - I had to leave seven or eight at home which isn’t ideal but you would rather have more than less.”
