In the 55th minute at Wembley on Sunday, England debutant Tino Livramento skipped past Sammie Szmodics, reached the byline and clipped a cross into the penalty area. Two Irish defenders hacked at the ball, which eventually squirmed to his Newcastle United team-mate Anthony Gordon at the far post.
Volley, goal, 2-0 England.
As Gordon wheeled away, one of the first to celebrate with him was his left-sided partner Lewis Hall, rubbing his mullet.
Here were three Newcastle players starting for England — for the first time since 1997, according to Opta — with each having made their debuts this year. Livramento was making his first appearance and Hall his first start, and Gordon scored his first goal. It is a sign of progress.
Manchester United did not have a single representative in Lee Carsley’s squad. But for Steve Parish’s stubbornness at Crystal Palace this summer, Marc Guehi could have made it four for Newcastle.
Those details are tongue-in-cheek — but here are the facts that matter. The average age of the three Newcastle players who appeared in England’s 5-0 win on Sunday evening was 21 years and seven months. All developed into senior internationals under Eddie Howe — and each has a chance of becoming a long-term option.
Gordon has started five of the last six games under Carsley, while incoming manager Thomas Tuchel aggressively tried to sign him for Chelsea in 2022. Livramento faces intense competition at right-back, but with Kieran Trippier and Kyle Walker’s international careers apparently over, that battle is at least on.
Anthony Gordon scores his first England goal (Adrian Dennis/AFP via Getty Images)
Twenty-year-old Hall likely has the best shot, showing up well in a position where England lack any depth, and with the flexibility to play as a left wing-back or left-sided centre-back, as well as a conventional left-back.
Such promise is a long way from Newcastle under Mike Ashley’s stewardship, where England caps were rarer than August snow. Before Trippier appeared in June 2022, the last Newcastle player to represent England was Andros Townsend in 2016. Before him, only Alan Smith, Andy Carroll and Michael Owen won England caps during the Mike Ashley era.
Owen, at the 2006 World Cup, had been the last Newcastle player to represent England at a major tournament before Trippier, Nick Pope and Callum Wilson 16 years later.
It is easy to say this does not matter. Newcastle are trophy-starved and need European football to continue their development on and off the pitch.
Many supporters would say that performances not delivered in a Newcastle shirt are irrelevant at best and actively inhibiting at worst. The prospect of wrapping your talented players in cotton wool each international break is instinctively alluring — but it is also limited.
England caps are an objective metric that serve as testaments to Howe’s player development — these were players turned into internationals under his watch. It means any young potential signing can see this pathway exists. They can join, improve, and receive recognition.
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Since Howe joined, Newcastle have signed four English-qualified players under the age of 23 — Gordon, Hall, Livramento, and Harrison Ashby. The first three have all gone on to play for England.
This is a recruitment magnet. Howe can point to the development of Hall, who spent much of last season quietly working on the fundamentals, playing limited minutes, but emerged as an England player within four months of becoming a Newcastle first-team regular.
Then there is Gordon, who wrote an ambitious list of objectives in the summer of 2023 while still trying to earn a place in Newcastle’s first-choice XI. The most ambitious of those was to play for England. It shows two things — one, that international recognition is still crucial to arriving players, and two, that those aspirations can be met at Newcastle. Gordon ended the season being named the club’s player of the year and playing at a European Championship.
Under Howe, he has developed an end product and consistent link-up play, attributes that are turning him into a star.
The same goes for non-English players. Joelinton was turned from a punchline into a Brazil international. Sandro Tonali has been Italy’s form midfielder since returning from suspension, taken to the next level by his work at Newcastle’s Benton training base.
Commercially, turning players into internationals moves them from a regional into a continental market. With the club in a constant battle to secure lucrative sponsorship deals, having England’s starting left-winger or Italy’s first-choice No 8 is a major boost.
Players’ international recognition reflects well on Eddie Howe (Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
But as much as it offers first-team glamour, it also affects the academy. The last Newcastle youth product to play for England was Andy Carroll — the only other in the Premier League era has been Steve Howey — but there are signs that might be ending.
Lewis Miley made his debut for England Under-21s against Spain this week, having worked his way through from the under-17s, under-19s and under-20s. It seems likely he will make a senior debut in the next two seasons.
Right-back Leo Shahar captained England Under-18s last month, with exciting winger Trevan Sanusi starting ahead of him. They all work regularly with Newcastle’s first-team squad. Even Elliot Anderson’s progress at Nottingham Forest, after he left Newcastle this summer, is part of the overall picture.
Part of Newcastle’s strategy to overcome profit and sustainability regulations is to sign the country’s best young talent. International recognition is proof that Newcastle can be entrusted throughout their development — from childhood to major tournaments — and it has already started to bear fruit.
Eighteen-year-old Alfie Harrison joined from Manchester City this summer, while Newcastle beat several big six clubs to sign 14-year-old Jayden Kouossu from West Bromwich Albion. Kouossu has already scored nine goals and managed three assists in four games for the under-15s.
England’s 5-0 win over the Republic of Ireland will not carry lasting significance to many and Newcastle’s progress towards the Premier League elite is a slog — but these nights are a step towards where they want to be.
(Top photos: Getty Images)
