Newcastle: Jude Smith could be Pope’s heir

Newcastle United appointed Dan Ashworth as their sporting director forward of the 2022/23 marketing campaign and the ex-Brighton chief was a busy man all through the summer season switch window.

He moved shortly to usher in Nick Pope, Sven Botman, Matt Targett and Alexander Isak in on everlasting offers to bolster Eddie Howe’s first-team squad, while additionally snapping up Loris Karius on a free switch after Karl Darlow sustained an damage.

Did Ashworth do a great job in the summertime?

His enterprise has performed an enormous function within the membership at the moment sitting third within the Premier League desk after 14 matches performed, having crushed Southampton 4-1 on Sunday.

Pope has been one of many Magpies’ high performers since he arrived from Burnley – averaging a SofaScore rating of 7.13 and preserving six clear sheets in 14 appearances.

Talking on Ben Foster’s podcast (35:00), Pope’s former supervisor Sean Dyche described him as a “monster” and a “basketball star” due to his large body and he has used his physique to disclaim opposition forwards all through the season thus far.

He turns 31 in April and among the youthful shot-stoppers on the membership must be him as a job mannequin as they try to make the breakthrough at first-team stage.

Howe could have already got the inheritor to Pope’s throne between the sticks at St. James’ Park in 19-year-old goalkeeper Jude Smith, who was introduced in from East Fife in the summertime.

The teenage expertise has caught the attention for the U21s since becoming a member of the Magpies. His supervisor, Elliot Dickman, hailed his “potential” in September and praised the stopper’s performances, saying:

“The video games he’s performed in, the primary was Norwich away he was thrown within the deep finish to an extent, and even in that sport he saved the rating down. The opposite video games he’s performed, he’s accomplished terrific.

“He’s are available and hit the bottom operating, however there’s nonetheless heaps for him to study. He hasn’t been right here lengthy by way of how we wish to play and what we wish to do, and I believe he’s getting there which is a credit score to him and all the workers who’re round him.”

Smith excelled within the EFL Trophy when he was tasked with enjoying towards skilled groups. He averaged a SofaScore score of seven.20 throughout three appearances – towards Lincoln, Barnsley, and Doncaster – as he saved 75% of the pictures towards him.

The 19-year-old is within the infancy of his profession however he’s already displaying that he has the standard to impress at senior stage, having additionally performed 25 matches within the third tier of Scottish soccer final season.

He ought to now be doing his finest to absorb as a lot data and steerage from Pope as he can in order that he can fulfil his potential and progress by to the senior squad at St. James’ Park.

Smith is heading in the right direction, having impressed Dickman and put in robust performances within the EFL Trophy, and Howe might unearth Pope’s inheritor sooner or later by aiding {the teenager} in his growth over the approaching years.