Whereas first workforce additions have been few and much between in current home windows, Newcastle United appear intent on recruiting youth expertise in a bid to enhance our beforehand uncared for Academy.
Again in August final yr, we launched an NUFC Weblog unique revealing that the membership had gained the race to herald Irish winger Kyle Fitzgerald.
Quick ahead a couple of months and the previous Galway United expertise has lastly been unveiled by the membership, finishing all of the formalities after turning 18 a couple of weeks in the past.
It’s lastly official – Kyle Fitzgerald is a Newcastle United participant, becoming a member of our Underneath-21s from Irish giants Galway United.
The winger turns into the second Galway expertise to reach on Tyneside after Alex Murphy, becoming a member of the membership’s Academy following a profitable trial interval.
A deal has been in place for a while, however a change in the UK’s non-EU registration guidelines meant the participant couldn’t formally signal till he turned 18 on the finish of January.
Fitzgerald is an Eire Underneath-17 worldwide and turns into the most recent teenager to signal, with Turkey’s Baran Yildiz and Georgian ahead Vakhtang Salia just lately recruited by sporting director Paul Mitchell together with Serbia’s Miodrag Pivas; at present on mortgage within the Eredivisie.
Discussing the deal, Academy director Steve Harper admitted Newcastle held off competitors from a number of “massive golf equipment” to safe the winger: “We’re delighted Kyle has chosen to hitch the membership amidst a lot of curiosity from different massive golf equipment.
“He has impressed throughout a trial interval with the Academy and we’re more than happy he’s becoming a member of us at this significant stage of his profession.
“Our expertise pathway has had some massive success tales lately so the problem is there for Kyle and all of our gamers to proceed their improvement and hopefully observe within the footsteps of those that have gone on to compete within the first-team squad.”
Talking to the membership’s official web site, Fitzgerald admits it was a “no-brainer” to hitch Newcastle ultimately after conversations with a number of different golf equipment.
He additionally referenced Alex Murphy and the pathway to first-team soccer as one of many key elements after talks with Harper and Head of Youth Recruitment, Paul Midgley:
“I’m very glad. I had a couple of conversations with completely different golf equipment however as quickly as Newcastle got here in, it was a no brainer for me. I used to be on trial in the summertime and I actually appreciated town, folks and the environment at St. James’ Park. I wish to play for followers who actually get pleasure from exhausting work, objectives and artistic gamers.
“The venture actually attracted me. Steve Harper and Paul Midgley (Head of Youth Recruitment) confirmed me the pathway of gamers comparable to Alex Murphy, who has got here by means of Galway’s Academy after which signed for Newcastle like myself.
“I used to go to the identical college as Alex however I used to be two or three years youthful than him. I did look as much as him as a result of he was in Galway’s first-team once I was on the Academy. Hopefully, I can observe in comparable footsteps.”
“I’m very glad. I had a couple of conversations with completely different golf equipment however as quickly as Newcastle got here in, it was a no brainer for me.” 🗣️
Irish teenager Kyle Fitzgerald joins the membership from Galway United! 🇮🇪 pic.twitter.com/8va8bOXKoX
— Newcastle United (@NUFC) February 13, 2025