Newcastle Toons
Fansided

Newcastle United’s young keepers will all get a chance to grow this year

By Carson A Merk

LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 12: Freddie Woodman of Newcastle United warms up ahead of the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Newcastle United at Stamford Bridge on January 12, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 12: Freddie Woodman of Newcastle United warms up ahead of the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Newcastle United at Stamford Bridge on January 12, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

With Martin Dubravka still the ironclad first-choice goalkeeper, Newcastle United’s promising players at the position will develop away from the first team.

In sports, you obviously succeed based on how your top players produce. But, for long term success, it often comes down to how the young players develop in the background. Newcastle United should experience the best of both worlds with their goalkeepers this season.

Martin Dubravka, Karl Darlow, and Rob Elliot seem set to be the first-team goalkeepers this season, barring a late move this summer. Outside of those three veterans, Newcastle United have three young goalkeepers that will all get the chance to develop and play away from the first-team.

Freddie Woodman signed a one-year extension and immediately went on loan to Swansea City in the Championship. While there are senior team keepers already there, it seems he will have the chance to earn some time, potentially even becoming the first-choice option. Last season, he was stuck waiting for cup appearances and rare matches with the reserves. Now, he has the chance to play in the second division and prove he can be Newcastle’s goalkeeper of the future.

Also going on loan, Nathan Harker had the chance to spend some of the preseason with the Magpies’ first team. The 20-year-old will spend this season with Blyth Spartans AFC in the sixth level of English soccer. It’s not anywhere near the Premier League or even the Championship, but the competitive first-team matches will springboard his development.

With the primary U-23 goalkeeper Harker going on loan, new signing Jake Turner seems likely to step into that role. The reserve side experienced a good amount of success last season and that environment should be good for Turner, who will likely make the bench in cup matches for the first team.

Next. Five NUFC players to add to your EPL fantasy team. dark

Having all three players getting competitive minutes, it will help for the future when the club moves on from Dubravka onto the next generation of goalkeeper potentially.