Football News
Krul, Kadar, Vuckic: ready or not?
Newcastle United are back in the Premier League under Chris Hughton and, given the relatively thin squad and not considerable transfer funds at the manager’s disposal, this season could herald the emergence of some talented next generation Magpies.
Every football fan loves to see home-grown talent coming through the ranks, so join Sport.co.uk in looking at three Newcastle United youngsters who could be set to make a big impact at St James’ Park this year.
Do you agree with our picks? Which other youngsters do you think Newcastle United fans should keep their eyes on? Are you concerned about the lack of signings? Have your say in the comments section below…
Tim Krul – As disastrous loan spells go, the young Dutch goalkeeper’s 2007-08 spell at Falkirk was a doozey. Things started well enough with a clean sheet against Gretna but he subsequently conceded eleven goals in two games against each of the Auld Firm before getting himself sent off in another match and then sustaining an injury that kept him out for the rest of the season. Curious trivia aside, the 22 year-old is an excellent prospect who kept a clean sheet on his full league debut for Newcastle on the last day of last season and he looks set to play the role of Steve Harper’s understudy this season.
Tamas Kadar – The 20 year-old Hungarian centre-back turned in some commendable performances whenever he was called upon to deputise for either Steven Taylor or Fabio Coloccini last season, but he professed to not having played as much as he’d hoped and is considering his options. Sol Campbell’s arrival pushes Kadar further down the pecking order but his ability to fill in at left-back could prove to be important for Hughton this season, who will have to make maximum use of his squad in order to avoid a swift return to the Championship.
Haris Vuckic – Howay the local lads, eh? Vuckic, a 17 year-old midfielder/forward from Slovenia, is regarded as a hugely exciting talent, and he went some way towards justifying this assessment by coming off the bench to curl in the winner from twenty yards on his Reserves debut against Blackburn Rovers in February 2009. He grabbed his first senior goal in the Magpies’ recent friendly against Carlisle United and, although he only has a handful of competitive first team appearances to his name, such explosive talent could be a handy weapon coming off the bench this season.