'He's a maverick' - Newcastle United midfielder hailed after stunning first start for loan club

Newcastle United midfielder Joe White has been described as ‘a maverick’ after scoring his first goal for loan club MK Dons on Tuesday night.

The 22-year-old made his first senior appearances for the Magpies last season as an ongoing battle with injuries saw Eddie Howe’s squad hampered throughout the campaign. That handed White a first chance to shine at senior level as he made late substitute appearances in away defeats at Chelsea and Crystal Palace as well as home games with Tottenham Hotspur and Bournemouth. The England youth international went on to feature alongside United’s senior stars throughout their pre-season campaign but went on to link up with former Magpies defender Mike Williamson at Milton Keynes on summer transfer deadline day.

Williamson has since left the League Two club to take charge at White’s hometown club Carlisle United - but the Magpies loanee has continued to impress under his successor Scott Lindsey. The former Crawley Town boss handed White his first start for the club in Tuesday night’s 5-1 win at Harrogate Town and was rewarded with a polished display and a goal that left him to praise the United midfielder’s ability on and off the ball.

“He's very good, a talented footballer,” Lindsey told the MK Citizen. “He's a maverick in many ways, he's got good feet, good skills and can take players on, he arrives in pockets and he has goals in him, obviously. He had a good game, but he's not played a lot of football so we were conscious of that, but he had a really good game.

“It's important to have those sorts of players, players who are different to the rest of the group, and Joe White is that. He's got that little bit of ability where you can take players on, manoeuvre the ball left and right, he's got good, quick feet, he's got that flik-flak in him, he does that really well. Sometimes you need a maverick in your team like that.”

White will be back in action on Saturday when his side host Tranmere Rovers.