- Newcastle United injury crisis could open door for Premier League debut
- Leo Shahar highly rated on Tyneside
- Shahar’s inclusion would reinforce youth focus
With Lewis Miley’s injury ruling him out for the rest of the season and Tino Livramento also sidelined, there is a hole to fill at right-back this weekend for Newcastle United. One option is the return of Kieran Trippier to the starting lineup. However, a more intriguing possibility could be handing Leo Shahar his Premier League debut.
Shahar has been on the bench numerous times this season but has managed only one first-team appearance. He came on for the final three minutes in the second leg of Newcastle’s Champions League play-off against Qarabag FK.
The right-back is regarded as one of Newcastle’s top academy prospects and has even captained England national under-18 football team. There have been calls for the youngster to receive more minutes throughout the season, and this weekend could provide the perfect opportunity to do exactly that.
Who is Leo Shahar?
Shahar joined the Magpies from Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2023 as one of England’s brightest young prospects. Since then, he has impressed at both club and international youth level and was promoted to Newcastle’s first-team squad by Eddie Howe last year.
Since then, Shahar has found himself confined to the bench, without any real opportunity to showcase his ability. In recent weeks, he has dropped out of the squad entirely amid Newcastle’s struggles.
Shahar is viewed as a technically gifted, forward-thinking full-back who regularly overlaps with his winger to create chances.
Defensively, he is tenacious and aggressive in one-on-one situations. He is rarely beaten by opposing wingers over the course of a match.
Given the current state of Newcastle’s season, it would make sense to begin transitioning towards giving younger players an opportunity.
Shahar has spoken openly about his determination to break into the starting XI, saying: “I want to start a game for Newcastle United; that’s my goal. I just have to keep working hard in training, and hopefully that opportunity comes.”
Newcastle United to place greater emphasis on youth
There is set to be a stronger youth-focused approach at Newcastle heading into next season. Yasir Al-Rumayyan is said to be a strong advocate of player pathways and seeing academy talents progress into the first team.
There is also expected to be an influx of younger talent during the summer transfer window, with the club looking to lower the average age of the squad as part of a mini rebuild.
With all of that in mind, Shahar’s inclusion in the squad over the next few weeks would make plenty of sense. Trippier has confirmed that he will leave when his contract expires in the summer, so Newcastle could prioritise giving Shahar opportunities to showcase his talent rather than continuing to rely on the veteran defender.
Unfortunately, it still feels unlikely that Shahar will receive significant minutes. Howe’s current predicament requires results between now and the end of the season.
Couple that with his previous reluctance to hand youth prospects meaningful opportunities, and it appears the best Shahar can realistically hope for is a place on the bench.
In other news, Newcastle United confirm St James’ Park changes as expansion uncertainty grows.
