Newcastle United’s academy notebook – all the news and inside stories
19:00, 09 Apr 2026
Robbie Stockdale and Adam Lawrence are set for a reunion when Newcastle take on Manchester United at under-21 level(Image: 2025 Newcastle United)
There is excitement building around Newcastle United’s under-15 side, with the very real prospect of a serious tilt at FA Youth Cup success on the horizon in either 2028 or 2029.
Having won the Premier League International Tournament at the end of last month, the young Magpies backed up that success by winning the Orange Veins Cup in Rotterdam over the weekend.
Having taken in Excelsior Rotterdam’s 2-0 defeat to NEC Nijmegen in the Eredivisie on Saturday, Newcastle won a group that contained Danish side FC Midtjylland, Canada’s Supra Academy, Club NXT from Belgium and the Estonian Talent Project on Sunday.
They then beat Borussia Monchengladbach 3-1 in the semi-finals on Easter Monday thanks to a brace from highly-rated Charlie Robinson, who was crowned Player of the Tournament, and a goal from Jack Skelton to set up a final against PSG.
Much talked about striker Muawiya Ghanem scored Newcastle’s goal as they played out a 1-1 draw before goalkeeper Lucas Flack was the hero as they won the trophy via a penalty shootout.
“It’s been a brilliant couple of weeks for the boys,” Newcastle’s under-15s lead coach Graeme Coulson said. “To win the Premier League International Tournament last weekend and then come to Rotterdam and lift the Orange Veins Cup is something that they should be really proud of and beating top sides along the way shows the strides they’re making as a group.
“These trips are massive for their growth. Playing against elite teams from across Europe in new environments really stretches them and you can see how much they take from it. Most importantly, they’ve represented the club in the right way on and off the pitch and been a real credit to the club and their families.”
Newcastle’s under-15 side is a mix of local talent like Robinson but also clever recruitment from within the UK pyramid, with Ghanem and Flack arriving at the club via West Brom and Leyton Orient respectively. That recruitment has been a key driver towards the academy’s long term success and Newcastle should start to reap the rewards of that within the next few years.
With the club’s under-nine side also seeing off Braga, Aberdeen, Rangers, Ipswich and Everton to win the Magpie Cup last month as well, the future certainly seems bright on Tyneside. [SM]
Content cannot be displayed without consentLawrence reunion
Newcastle United under-21s will return to action for the first time in three weeks on Friday night – and they will find a familiar face in the opposition dugout.
Robbie Stockdale’s side will be looking to bounce back from a deeply disappointing 3-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest that brought an end to a promising four-game unbeaten run when they face Manchester United at Leigh Sports Village. The fixture will also see Stockdale go head-to-head with former Magpies Under-21s lead coach Adam Lawrence, who returned to the Red Devils academy setup following a four-month spell in charge of Newcastle’s second string earlier this year.
Lawrence was initially appointed in August last year following an extensive search for Diarmuid O’Carroll’s permanent successor before stepping away from his position in January.
A move back to Manchester United came just weeks later as Lawrence took charge of the Red Devils Under-21s after Travis Binnion was named on Michael Carrick’s interim first-team staff – although he remains unsure whether he will remain in the role beyond the end of the campaign
Speaking earlier this week, Lawrence told BBC Sport: “I’ve not really thought longer than the end of this current season. It’s too early anyway and I’ve not put too much time and energy into that, to be honest.
“At the moment, everyone is just really concentrated on what we’ve got coming up between the first team and the academy programme. It’s my job to put energy into the players, keep supporting them and work together with the staff to maximise their last two months. Things will just happen organically over time.” [MC]
How academy mirrors first team environment
When Chronicle Live paid a visit to the academy last month to interview head of academy goalkeeping Tony Caig, we were struck by the quiet improvements made inside the building. While the exterior of the club’s Little Benton base hasn’t changed much over the years, the interior has certainly been upgraded in the years since the club’s takeover back in 2021.
We spoke to Caig in an office to the side of the building’s cafeteria area which has been designed pretty much as a replica of the same area in the first team training ground.
On the TV screens around the building, each individual player’s physical stats were displayed to hold them accountable and Caig revealed that has all been a deliberate ploy to prepare them to make the step to first team football.
“It’s been huge,” Caig told Chronicle Live when asked about the difference in the academy building now to when he was first appointed “When I first came in, things were just slightly changing around the ownership and there was things being implemented initially.
“But when I think about the day I walked in here four years ago to now, it’s grown at such a rate in terms of the resources, the staff.
“[It is] High challenge and high support for the players. Everything is covered for them now in every single way, that’s the best way I can describe it but that’s also a challenge for us as staff because we need to keep making sure that nobody gets too comfortable.” [SM]
Newcastle’s head of academy goalkeeping Tony Caig(Image: 2026 Newcastle United)
USA call-ups
Two of Newcastle’s most promising youngsters have been named in an England Under-16s squad that will head to the United States for a trio of friendly fixtures next week.
Magpies duo Aristide Lesecond Yeutembip (more commonly known as Les) and Jayden Kouossu have both been named in the Three Lions squad that are currently preparing for games against the USA, Argentina and Mexico.
London-born defender Yeutembip, who joined the Magpies academy setup from Charlton Athletic just under two years ago, already has five Under-16s caps to his name but this is a maiden call-up for former West Bromwich Albion academy midfielder Kouossu. [MC]
Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package
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Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.
Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.