I got a bad ankle injury after joining Newcastle United - now I'm playing my best football again

Newcastle United youngster Kyle Fitzgerald believes a spirit of togetherness can inspire the Magpies Under-21s as they look to progress into the knockout rounds of the EFL Trophy for the first time in eight years.

Robbie Stockdale’s side travel to League Two club Rotherham United on Tuesday night knowing they will progress from Group C if they avoid a defeat against a Millers outfit that are without a win in their last eight games in all competitions. By contrast, the Magpies youngsters head to Yorkshire on the back of four consecutive wins after landing Premier League Cup victories against Luton Town and Peterborough United, edging out Hartlepool United in a National League Cup tie and securing a dramatic 3-2 win in a Tyne-Wear derby clash against Sunderland.

Republic of Ireland youth international Fitzgerald has impressed throughout the run and he has insisted the spirit shown during the closing stages of that win against the Black Cats is a key indicator of the positive atmosphere within the academy ranks.

Speaking after Friday’s win against Peterborough, the young winger said: “I think just the atmosphere around the group really, we are winning games, but the way we are winning games, there is a togetherness. I go back to the Sunderland game because it was a very good game. We were three-two up, the fourth official adds eight minutes on and it was eleven men behind the ball, defending, wanting to block the ball, win tackles for each other and you could see how much it meant to us when the final whistle went, the celebrations, we all embraced each other. I think it’s a big thing to have as a team because if you’re close like that with your team-mates, you just want to go to war for each other on the pitch.”

‘I’m starting to play my best football again’

Just over 18 months have passed since Fitzgerald officially joined the Magpies from League of Ireland club Galway United and he made a positive impact upon his arrival on Tyneside by scoring five goals in his first ten league appearances for United’s Under-18s side. An ankle injury hampered attempts to build on that promising start to life in black and white - but the 19-year-old winger has shown up well during the current campaign and looks to be firmly establishing himself as a key player with the Under-21s setup.

After producing an eye-catching display against Peterborough on Friday, Fitzgerald believes he is now producing the ‘best football’ since his initial move to Newcastle last year.

He explained: “I came over here for the second half of the Under-18s season and I hit the ground running to be fair. I went into my first Under-21s season and had a bad ankle injury so recovering from that was a tough challenge, being away from my family and all that. I got through it, I’ve come out the other side and I think I’m starting to play my best football again.”

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