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'The Future's Bright,' Says Beardsley
Written by Newcastle Utd
Peter Beardsley believes that Newcastle's youngsters are getting their rewards after 17-year-old Callum Roberts was named in the squad for United's game against QPR
By Dan King - Newcastle United Digital Editor
Peter Beardsley believes that the future is bright for Newcastle United after seeing another of his young players promoted to the first-team set-up this weekend.
Winger Callum Roberts, 17, was called up by Alan Pardew for Saturday's Barclays Premier League fixture against Queens Park Rangers and, although he ultimately missed out a place in the 18-man squad, his involvement against the R's shows that his performances at under-21 level have been noticed.
The likes of Adam Armstrong and Rolando Aarons have well and truly broken through at senior level this term, following the path recently walked by Paul Dummett and Sammy Ameobi, while another of Beardsley's boys - defender Remie Streete - was named among the substitutes on Saturday.
United's second-string are top of the Barclays Under-21 Premier League second division with six wins from eight games and on Tuesday night they beat Team Northumbria 7-0 to progress to the semi-finals of the Techflow Group Northumberland FA Senior Cup.
"The big thing is the players," Football Development Manager Beardsley told nufc.co.uk.
"The players have been brilliant; from day one of pre-season they've been top class and they're getting their rewards."
The under-21s' 2-1 win at Stoke earlier this month was shown live on Sky Sports and Beardsley admitted: "Around the city over the last few days having done what they did at Stoke, a lot of people have mentioned to me that they watched that game.
"It really makes me feel proud because they all said it was good football to watch and that's what we try to do.
"Obviously the manager's got the first team playing good football so hopefully we can follow their lead."
Ryan Taylor - named as an over-age player at the Britannia Stadium - scored both Newcastle goals that night but Roberts was one of several younger players to catch the eye.
He stepped up to the under-21s towards the end of last season after some exciting displays for Dave Watson's under-18s and Beardsley smiled: "A lot of people mentioned him, saying 'I like that winger.' A lot of them didn't necessarily know his name but they said 'that winger's a good player.'
"That's what football's like. The chance for them to be on Sky was brilliant for them and the great thing was they took their chance, played good football and that's what these fans want to see.
"They want to see exciting football which, as I said, the first team are now producing. It's onwards and upwards."