Newcastle United have enjoyed a brilliant purple patch over the past few weeks but still find themselves moored outside European contention after drawing against West Ham United in the Premier League, though just eight matches in this is hardly concerning.
Eddie Howe's side started slowly and endured a three-match skid after trouncing Aston Villa 5-1 in their season opener, but has since constructed a stunning run of form that has notably seen an 8-0 victory over Sheffield United in the English top-flight and wins over Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain in the Carabao Cup and Champions League respectively.
For all the club's newfound wealth, some of the most exciting cogs in the system this season have originated on Tyneside, with the trust in youth perhaps leading to talented prospect Michael Ndiweni's ascent to the first-team in good time.
Who is Michael Ndiweni?
Ndiweni is a dynamic centre-forward with a weight of expectation, having impressed for the Newcastle youth team since rising through the youth ranks and signing his first professional contract in July 2022.
Across the 2021/22 campaign, the 19-year-old posted 12 goals from 16 matches and netted against Mansfield Town in the EFL Trophy, earning praise for his "lethal" shooting from reporter Ciaran Kelly, who has also dubbed him “highly-rated”.
Last season, the dynamo received an upgrade to the U21 squad and scored three goals and supplied one assist from only seven starts in the Premier League 2.
Dubbed a "real threat" by Mark Carruthers, this talented teen could soon break into Howe's senior set-up, emulating Newcastle peers such as Sean Longstaff, Elliott Anderson and Lewis Miley.
It could be especially important given that Callum Wilson, while among the most prolific forwards across Europe over the past year or so, is soon to enter the twilight phase of his career, and will need an heir to complement the dynamic phenom that is Alexander Isak.
How many goals has Wilson scored for Newcastle?
Wilson recently penned a one-year contract extension that keeps him on the books at St. James' Park until the summer of 2025, and while he has been sensational for the Magpies, he will be 33-years-old by the culmination and could see his influence begin to wane.
As such, nurturing a starlet such as Ndiweni could be a winning move to galvanise the Toon faithful, with his 'lethal' instinct in front of goal exactly what is needed as the offensive counterweight to Isak.
Last season, Wilson scored 18 times in the Premier League while only starting 21 matches; this term, he has already bagged four league goals having completed only two starting appearances – praised for his "incredible mindset" by Howe.
The nine-cap international ranks among the top 4% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals scored per 90, as per FBref, and offers the kind of offensive reliability that is imperative in the fight for success across multiple fronts, as Newcastle is striving to achieve.
Ndiweni would be a tailor-made, homegrown heir, and while he is an untested commodity, he boasts the innate attacking ability to flourish, and must now be prepared for a shot at succeeding such a fantastic centre-forward in Wilson and cementing a role in Howe's squad.
