'Great future': Eddie Howe sings praises of youngster whose name is now popping up on Newcastle United teamsheet
Newcastle United have had to call on youngsters to flesh out their bench quite a lot in the last couple of years due to their small squad.
This season, we expected that those days were likely behind us after recruiting six first-team players in the summer, but a string of injuries has meant that hasn't been the case.
Alex Murphy and Sean Neave regularly find themselves on the first-team bench, although actual game time is extremely rare.
Now, another name has started to become a semi-regular feature on Eddie Howe's match day teamsheets.
Eddie Howe was full of praise for 16-year-old midfielder Sam Alabi
Sam Alabi was first drafted into the first-team setup when Newcastle couldn't put together a big enough squad to take to Marseille in the Champions League, and then the 16-year-old midfielder made the trip to Old Trafford on Boxing Day to take up a spot on Howe's bench.
Speaking after that game on Boxing Day, Eddie Howe was asked about Alabi, and the Newcastle manager was full of praise for the youngster's attitude.
"Sam's done well when he's trained with us. He's so young and we've got to be mindful of that, look after him and protect him and nurture him, but he's certainly got a lot of talent.
"He's got a great attitude as well. I love his fearlessness and how he's adapted himself to the group. He's got a great future ahead of him if he continues to work hard."
Eddie Howe may give Sam Alabi a debut sooner than we think
We don't expect to see Alabi on the pitch any time soon, but being in training with the first team and experiencing these match days will be huge for his development.
The earlier he soaks up those atmospheres and takes in the full match experience, the less daunting it will be when it comes to the day he makes his debut.
Of course, there's that saying, 'if you're good enough, you're old enough', so who knows, if Eddie Howe continues to be impressed, Alabi may find himself making his full debut sooner rather than later.
