sport news Eddie Howe believes Newcastle can avoid repeat of losing talent like Ivan Toney ... trends now
View
comments
Eddie Howe believes Newcastle now have the structures in place that will prevent the failure to recognise and develop the talent of a player like Ivan Toney.
The Brentford striker, 26, is celebrating his maiden England call-up this week, four years after being sold by Newcastle to Peterborough for just £300,000.
Rafa Benitez was manager at the time but he has always maintained club staff did not inform him of Toney’s potential and that he never spent one day training with his senior squad.
Ivan Toney received his first England call-up this week after impressing for Brentford
The handling of Toney - he was sent on loan six times - was symptomatic of a club lacking a sporting director and a connection between academy and first team.
Newcastle’s new owners have since appointed Dan Ashworth to oversee such pathways, and Howe said: ‘I'd love to think that (Toney situation) would not happen now. That's not a criticism of anyone at that time and why Ivan left, I don't know.
‘When you watch him play now and see his attributes and what he can bring to his team, he's an outstanding player. The call-up is a great thing for players who go to the lower leagues and gives them hope it's not the end of their dreams. He's had to work his way back up and he's done incredibly well.’
Newcastle sold the striker for just £300,000 to Peterborough back in the summer of 2018
