Newcastle news: ‘Mature’ Lewis Miley praised on Match of the Day 2

Former Premier League striker Troy Deeney has praised the “maturity” of Newcastle United academy graduate Lewis Miley, after the 18-year-old scored in Newcastle’s 4-3 win over Nottingham Forest.

Speaking on Match of the Day 2, Deeney said Miley gives Eddie Howe another “great option” in central midfield.

“Take away from that baby face, this is a mature man playing in midfield,” he added. “To drop Sandro Tonali and put Lewis Miley in there shows the confidence Eddie Howe has in him.

“When you watch him, he plays it and he doesn’t just stand there and watch, he gets after the ball again and keeps himself as an option.

“He is always in space. He has always got time because he plays it and goes forward again.

“He isn’t happy just watching his work, you can see his tenacity. How many times does he win headers? It’s like he says: ‘No problem, let’s keep the ball alive.’

“These are all the scrappy things you don’t get in under-23s football, such as doing your job at the back post where most young players would switch off.

“He is from the Toon and you can tell he wants this so bad. This isn’t somebody who plays under-23s football, this is someone who is a mature young man.”

Catch up on Match of the Day 2 here