Newcastle United making new contract decisions on players as forward agrees deal

Several Under-23s and Under-18s players will see their scholarships or professional deals expire at the end of the 2021-22 season.

And the club has to make the difficult decision whether to keep or release those players.

One player who is set to sign a new deal is Dylan Stephenson. The 19-year-old forward has impressed since stepping up from the Under-18s side and will put pen to paper on a new two-year professional contract which is likely to include a loan spell at a lower-league side.

After scoring 11 goals in 19 appearances for the Under-18s last season, Stephenson has found the net regularly for the Under-23s this campaign with 13 goals in 25 games in all competitions.

Under-23s lead coach Elliott Dickman is set for some tough conversations over the coming months but insists his focus remains on improving all of the players and finishing the season as strongly as possible.

“We're getting to the point where [contract] decisions are being made and once those decisions are made I'm sure everyone will be made aware of that,” Dickman told The Gazette.

"But all the players and myself can do is concentrate on getting better and improving at whatever that may be. It could be the technical, tactical, physical or a psychological thing.

"From our point of view, we've just got to make sure the players keep improving on a daily basis and take that improvement to go and play in the games.”

The Young Magpies have five games remaining in the regular Premier League 2 Division 2 season ahead of Friday night’s match against Middlesbrough Under-23s (7pm kick-off) and they are still in with a realistic chance of promotion.

After finishing bottom last season, United are currently fourth in the table and will be hoping to secure a play-off spot.

“[Getting in the play-offs] would mean a lot to all of us,” Dickman added. “There are a lot of people behind the scenes who are working really, really hard with the group.

"It's a massive team effort and I'm in the privileged position of being the lead coach but there is a huge staff behind it who are supporting and driving everything that we are trying to achieve.

"If it happens, it will be because we've given it everything we've got and if it doesn't happen then we can still say we've had a good season and worked hard.

"From our point of view we want to finish as high as we can and as strong as we can and if that means we're in the play-offs then brilliant.

"If not, as long as the players have improved and developed and you know, that year extra some of them have had and that some of them will get next season as well, as long as we've seen that improvement that's the most important thing.

"But the play-offs for us as a group is something that would be brilliant.”

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