Newcastle United record-breaker resisted Chelsea temptation - set to stay this summer

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Newcastle United midfielder Lewis Miley became the club’s youngest ever Premier League player when he came off the bench in the 1-1 draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge last month.

With 15 minutes remaining, Miley came off the bench to replace fellow academy star Elliot Anderson, having only just turned 17. The youngster almost made a stunning impact as his edge of the box strike hit the crossbar.

The travelling Newcastle fans quickly showed their support for the home-grown teenager with chants of ‘Lewis Miley, he’s one of our own,’ coming from the away end at Stamford Bridge.

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Miley withdrew from the England Under-17s squad to be part of Newcastle’s matchday squad for the final three matches of the season. He was an unused substitute in the 4-1 win over Brighton and 0-0 draw with Leicester City at St James’ Park before coming off the bench at Chelsea once United’s Champions League status had already been confirmed.

When asked if he knew that he would be Newcastle’s youngest ever Premier League before stepping onto the pitch, Miley told The Gazette: “I got told by my family so that makes it even better, it’s a great feeling. I was not too nervous, I was just buzzing to get on the pitch.

“Especially as it was the end of the season, I thought that was really good. Training [with first-team] has really developed me over the season, training with big players really helps.”

Having rubbed shoulders with Chelsea stars such as Raheem Sterling and Thiago Silva, there would perhaps be a temptation to attempt a shirt swap, but Miley has plans for his Newcastle record-breaking debut shirt.

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“Not today!” Miley smiled when asked if he was tempted to swap his shirt. “I think I’ll get it framed at home. “It was a great moment for me and my family.”

Miley is expected to play a role alongside the first-team in pre-season next month and will continue to train under head coach Eddie Howe. The Newcastle boss also hinted that the midfielder would be staying on Tyneside rather than heading out on loan next season.

“Lewis, I’d say, is a bit behind that [Anderson],” Howe said. “He’s just turned 17 so I don’t want to play too much expectation on him but he is someone we believe in. I certainly hope he is in and around training with us regularly next season.”

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