Howe Hails Hall as a ‘Shining Light’ in Newcastle’s Season

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe has described Lewis Hall as a “shining light” during the club’s inconsistent season. The left-back experienced limited playing opportunities during his loan spell with the Magpies last season. However, he has achieved a significant breakthrough this current term since his transfer was made permanent, featuring in every match for the club to date. Across all competitions, he has started 15 of those 19 appearances and contributed two assists. Despite Newcastle’s somewhat inconsistent form, Hall’s displays have offered a reliable element for the team. Howe stated, “He has played really well this season. He has been very consistent.” He added, “He has been a real shining light in that aspect by being the same Lewis, home or away. For someone so young that is hard to do.” Howe also commented, “His technical delivery has been outstanding, building attacks, his final ball can improve, but great to see him get two assists so far.” Furthermore, Howe noted, “Defensively he has been pretty good, but there are still areas to improve and develop. He’s moving in right direction, but for someone so young his maturity levels have been really good.” The 20-year-old, who supported Newcastle from childhood, initially joined the club from Chelsea on a season-long loan agreement in August 2023. This transfer was subsequently made permanent for a fee of £28m in July 2024. When questioned about Hall’s performance this season in contrast to the previous campaign, Howe responded, “They are very different players.” He elaborated, “With any young player you need a degree of patience, from everyone around them too.” Howe continued, “There is a path of development, whatever age, when you are trying to get into the team. You are developing your game, you cant just wait, so when you get in the team you can stay in.” He concluded, “We encourage development [in young players] all the time, we work hard to try to improve them.”