Why Aidan Harris' loan move from Newcastle United to Hebburn Town FC makes sense

Make no bones about it, Hebburn Town FC have landed something of a coup with the loan signing of Newcastle United goalkeeper Aidan Harris - and they know it too!

By his own admission, Hornets boss Daniel Moore was surprised to be given a chance to land a deal for the Magpies youngster and was expecting to be turned away when he approached Newcastle over a possible agreement. However, the deal is finalised and Moore and his coaching staff have been handed the responsibility of overseeing the next stage in the development of another highly-rated youngster from a Premier League club.

Harris will bring a commanding, authoritative presence to the Hornets backline, his distribution is excellent and he is a very strong shot stopper. His communication levels are of the highest standard, as anyone that has braved the chill at Whitley Park to watch the Magpies Under-21s in action will tell you, and he remains highly-rated within the Newcastle academy setup.

But what will Harris get out of the move and why Hebburn? They are perhaps the questions many Magpies supporters will be asking. Being brutally honest, on the back of his successful stint with Northern Irish club Coleraine, I fully expected Harris’ next loan move to be taken within the EFL or in one of the top two levels of Scottish football - and I know several clubs across those levels have monitored his progress closely.

After training alongside United’s first-team goalkeepers for a number of months, Harris has found himself in a similar scenario to the likes of Sean Neave and Leo Shahar. A move into senior football is required to aid his development and spending another season within the Under-21s setup could be viewed as stagnating. There is also the development of fellow academy goalkeepers Roman Dowell and George Mair to consider as the England youth internationals compete for a spot in Robbie Stockdale’s starting eleven.

‘Flourish and be challenged’

Harris needed somewhere to go and, if I am being honest, Hebburn may not have been at the top of the list - but there are so many positives he can take from his time at the Trustmark Group Stadium. Hornets management team Daniel Moore and Mark Hudson and goalkeeper coach Carl Morris have a wealth of expertise and experience and they have forged a reputation for helping youngsters develop during their time at the club. They have aided the careers of Sunderland’s highly-rated goalkeeper Isaac Allan and Hartlepool United duo Campbell Darcy and Kian Foreman over the last 12 months alone - but have also been entrusted with several other Premier League and EFL talents during their time in charge of the club.

As a management team and as a club, Moore’s men and Hebburn have established an environment that allows players to both flourish and be challenged. The National League North may seem like a drop for Harris to some - but the reality is he will face a number of physical and mental challenges that will only aid his progress and development over his time with the Hornets. This feels like a move that will benefit all parties involved.

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