Despite missing seven months of the previous season due to a back injury, Eddie Howe has praised Lewis Miley for his physical development. The 18-year-old was thrown into the deep end during the club’s injury and passed the test with flying colours. The 18-year-old had a taste for top-tier football from 18 Premier League appearances and high-pressure away games against Paris Saint-Germain and Sunderland. Although Newcastle could have rushed Miley back sooner, the treatment table had cleared, and Howe preferred to give him time to fully recover.
However, a metatarsal fracture would deal a crushing setback to the midfielder on the eve of his return. Miley’s frustrating seven-month period perhaps served as a wake-up call that, despite his heroics last season, he has not made the big leagues yet.
He has spent the previous four Premier League games on the bench and played a solitary minute of the Carabao Cup win over Chelsea. A combined 79 minutes against Spain and the Netherlands for England under-21s helped improve his match sharpness ahead of the West Ham United clash.
Howe gave an update on Miley at his pre-match press conference, opening up about his work in the gym. He told reporters: “The biggest development has come from him physically,” he said. “When you look at Lewis when he first broke into the team, you would see someone who is big for his age but maybe hasn’t developed the muscle definition that he has now. “That’s just through time and age. His game will be developing every day, and I think it’s in a good place. But I think his biggest development is physical.
“He’s worked really hard through his injury. He looks like an unbelievable athlete now. To play for England Under-21s at 18 is a testament to how England regard him. I think his career is in a good place.”
READ MORE ON:https://sportip.co.uk/