'Wasn't all plain sailing' - Alan Shearer hails Newcastle United star after landmark appearance
There was a big moment for one Newcastle United star as he made his senior international debut on Thursday night.
Newcastle United youngster Lewis Hall earned his first England cap as a reward for the ‘massive improvement’ he has shown in recent months.
That was the verdict of Magpies legend Alan Shearer as he assessed the left-back’s display in the Three Lions’ 3-0 win in Greece on Thursday night. There were some hopes Hall could be handed a start by England interim head coach Lee Carsley but it was Manchester City’s Rico Lewis that started on the left-hand side of the back four. However, the former Chelsea youngster did not have to wait long to earn his first senior cap as he was introduced as a half-time substitute to become the youngest Magpies player to make his England debut in over 115 years.
Hall produced a calm and composed display as the Three Lions boosted their hopes of earning promotion into the top tier of the Nations League with a win that saw them leapfrog their hosts in the Group B2 table. Hall actually played a part in England’s second goal of the night as he featured in the move that led to an unfortunate own goal from Magpies team-mate Odysseas Vlachodimos. His rise to the international stage comes on the back of an impressive run of form at club level as Hall continues to move on from a difficult season-long loan spell with Newcastle and shows genuine signs of progression after he became a permanent member of Eddie Howe’s squad during the summer.
Shearer praised the youngster for his performance in Greece and admitted he has been impressed with the patience shown by Hall as he continues to go from strength-to-strength for club and country.
He told The Rest is Football Podcast: “There’s not exactly a whole host of players at left-back, is there? So, again, for when he was given his opportunity, when he came on for the second-half, I thought he did really, really well. He played a small part in the goal, in Bellingham’s goal, the way it was played out from the back so it was a good night for him. It wasn’t all plain sailing for him when he came to Newcastle. He’s had to be patient and slowly but surely, he’s found himself to be a regular this season. There has been a massive improvement in his game at Newcastle and he deserved his chance.”
Hall will hope to have done enough to earn his first senior start for the Three Lions as Carsley rounds off his interim reign with a home game against Republic of Ireland on Sunday evening.