Danny Murphy now praises "wonderful" Newcastle youngster after his performances this season

It's the end of the year and that means it's time for lists, top tens and meaningless awards with no actual prize other than a mention in a national newspaper.

Still, though, when a Newcastle United player is singled out you can bet we're going to talk about it.

In his column for the Daily Mail former Liverpool star Danny Murphy wrote about his picks for things like the player of the year and best transfer etc.

As if there was any other choice

It was his pick for the best newcomer that naturally caught our eye as he chose none other than our very own wonderkid, Lewis Miley. And rightly so.

Miley ended last season with a cameo against Chelsea in which he almost scored a debut goal with a wonder strike. He was then in and around the squad during pre-season and the decision was made to keep him at the club rather than loan him out. And thank Baby Jeebus that we did because we needed him.

With a host of injuries to our squad and a 10-month suspension for Sandro Tonali, Miley was called upon to fill the gap in midfield. It was a decision that has paid dividends as the lad has barely put a foot wrong in the 13 games he's played for the senior side.

It's little wonder then that Danny Murphy chose Miley as his best newcomer this season, heaping praise on the 17-year-old in is write-up.

"Newcastle’s Miley has been a revelation at just 17. Adrenaline usually keeps young players going for a couple of games before a drop-off. Yet he was excellent against Chelsea, PSG and Manchester United all in the same week.

"That is phenomenal playing in midfield against top-quality opposition. He clearly has a wonderful football brain, and it’s fantastic to see a local lad doing well in black and white."

Miley is earning praise from all corners of the football world

We know what a talent Lewis Miley is, but there's always that feeling that maybe you're letting your bias let you get carried away, but rival fans, pundits and commentators can't stop cooing about Miley either so we know we've got a player on our hands.

Lewis Miley is the future of Newcastle United and it's not a shock that there's already talks of offering him a new contract. We must do all we can to keep him happy and keep him here.

In Miley we trust.