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Beardsley Wants Young Magpies To Shine
Written by Newcastle Utd
Peter Beardsley has urged his under-21s to take the opportunity to impress when they face West Ham on Friday
By Tom Easterby - Newcastle United Club Reporter
Peter Beardsley has urged his young side to take the opportunity to impress when they entertain West Ham United in a Barclays Under-21 Premier League Division Two clash on Friday night.
United's football development manager and his side welcome Terry Westley's youngsters to St James' Park (7pm kick-off) hoping to bounce back from consecutive defeats to Stoke City and Fulham in February.
The Magpies' ranks have been depleted by the spate of players currently out on loan, meaning Beardsley could once again have to call on the services of some of the younger members of his squad.
And the United legend wants his team to make the most of their chances to catch the eye in the second string, just as the likes of Liam Gibson and Callum Williams have done in recent weeks - earning them both spots on the bench for the first team's 1-0 win over West Brom and full-back Gibson a start in the 2-1 friendly win over Lillestrom in La Manga.
"Liam Gibson, Callum Williams, Jamie Sterry, Kevin Mbabu, Rolando Aarons… Really, they're under-21 players still. Freddie Woodman's been on the bench a few times too, so there's been loads of pluses for us," Beardsley told nufc.co.uk.
"We've got Liam Smith on loan (at Blackpool), two on loan at Carlisle, two on loan at York and Coventry, so it is what it is. It gives somebody else an opportunity.
"It's brilliant experience for them. Some of them will be on the bench for us and will then go and play (for the under-18s) at Stoke at 11 o'clock the next morning, but that's the reality. If I'm a kid and I'm on the bench at St. James' on Friday night, I'd want to go and play at Stoke, because that's what football's about.
"You're judged on what you do on an 11-a-side pitch. You're not judged on what you do in training every day, it's what you do on the pitch, and ultimately people notice that."
Earlier in the season, a late penalty from Martin Samuelsen - now on loan at Peterborough United - denied the Magpies all three points after goals from Ivan Toney and Callum Roberts had given them a 2-1 lead at Upton Park.
Beardsley is anticipating another entertaining encounter when the two sides meet again under the lights on Friday, and is hoping a decent crowd will turn out to roar United on to a first win since the 4-2 victory over West Brom at the end of January.
"They want to play football, and I think it'll be a good game. The 2-2 down there was very good. Ivan scored a great goal and was outstanding for us that night," he said.
"It was great for us to play at Upton Park in their last season there, and it's great for them to come and play at St. James'. It's always exciting for the kids to play at St. James'. It doesn't matter if you're 16 or 35, it's a brilliant venue and at this stage of the season, the pitch is always immaculate.
"It's a brilliant occasion for them. Even me now, standing there as a coach, it's really exciting and I love it. It's special for them, and the more they play there, the more special it becomes for me.
"Playing on a Friday night, hopefully there'll be a few fans come out and there'll be a decent crowd."
The game is the final home fixture for the young Magpies before a gruelling run of three long away trips to Brighton and Hove Albion, Swansea City and Arsenal in the next month.
And Beardsley believes that the busy end-of-season run-in is ideal preparation for his players as they continue to strive to become involved in the first team set-up.
"After Easter we have a three-game stretch where we play Swansea at the Liberty Stadium on the Monday, then Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on the Friday and then Brighton at St. James' Park on the Monday," he explained.
"That's a proper first team schedule in terms of venues and games, so it's great for them to experience."
Newcastle United Under-21s entertain West Ham United Under-21s at St. James' Park on Friday night (7pm kick-off). The East Stand will be open for supporters, with access free to season ticket holders and Members.
For anyone who is not a season ticket holder or Member, entrance to the fixture is £3 for adults and £1 for concessions.