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Beardsley Excited For Emirates Clash
Written by Newcastle Utd
Peter Beardsley says playing at the Emirates Stadium will be a night to remember for his under-21 team
By Tom Easterby - Newcastle United Club Reporter
As his young side prepare for a trip to the Emirates Stadium on Friday (7pm kick-off), Peter Beardsley says playing at the 60,000-capacity home of Arsenal will be a night to remember for his Newcastle United Under-21 team.
The Magpies travel to London for their second Barclays Under-21 Premier League Division Two fixture in five days, with another to come on Monday when they welcome Brighton & Hove Albion to St. James' Park.
And Beardsley himself is excited about the prospect of seeing his youngsters test themselves against the Gunners in the capital - and believes that the arena his team will walk out into on Friday night is the finest in English football's top flight.
"I've been to the stadium, and the stadium's the best in the Premier League for me, without a shadow of a doubt," he said.
"Old Trafford's amazing, and there's a lot of great stadiums - ours is brilliant - but you just look at the whole Arsenal thing, and for me it's amazing.
"I honestly think it's better than Wembley. I can't wait for Friday."
With just two competitive fixtures left before the end of the season, United's inexperienced team still have a lot to play for, according to Beardsley.
The under-21 squad fly out to Hong Kong next month to take part in the HKFC Citibank Soccer Sevens tournament, with places currently up for grabs for the seven-a-side competition.
"They're all fighting for places to go to Hong Kong as well," said the Magpies' football development manager Beardsley. "Only ten of them can go to Hong Kong, and we try to take people on merit, so it doesn't matter what level you're at or where you're at, there's always something you're aiming for.
"For them, they were aiming for Swansea on Monday, they're aiming for Arsenal on Friday, aiming for Brighton on Monday and then aiming for Hong Kong.
"It's exciting for them, and it's exciting for us as a club."
United were forced to withdraw two players at the Liberty Stadium on Monday, with midfielder Jack Hunter - who was due to start the game - pulling out injured in the warm up. He was replaced in the starting line-up by Dan Ward.
Owen Gallacher was then substituted in the second half because of injury, and Beardsley says while he's unsure whether the duo will be fit for the trip to face Steve Gatting's Gunners, he knows whichever side he elects to field will be in for a stern test at the Emirates against an Arsenal side who have lost the joint fewest number of league games this term - just four in their 18 games.
"Jack Hunter unfortunately got injured in the warm up so whether he'll be available for Friday, I genuinely don't know," he said.
"Young Gally went off went off injured, so I don't know what he's like.
"The great thing is that most of the group that were at Swansea will get the chance to go to the Emirates and be a part of that, because that will be special.
"We watched a little bit of their FA Youth Cup game on Monday and they lost to Manchester City, but a few of them will play against us on Friday so it'll be a good test for us and a great experience."