What this Newcastle United player did was 'exceptional'

The Newcastle United striker joined the League Two club in the summer – but he is yet to find the net.

Sorensen – who hasn’t started a league game since late August – played well in last night's 2-1 Leasing.com Trophy win over Blackpool at Brunton Park.

Carlisle manage Steven Pressley said: "If you look at young Elias Sorensen, at times he worked exceptionally hard and didn't get his rewards, but he kept doing it and doing it, and I thought he had an exceptional second half.

"I'm really pleased with the way he's coming around and he's progressing.

"I thought he gave a really good performance tonight. He showed great bravery, and, in football, it's amazing, because the harder you work, the better you perform – that's the bottom line. I think that's one of the things he's truly added to his game – his out of possession work.

"We've worked a lot on that with him, his understanding of his roles and responsibilities without the ball. He's now doing that to great effect. As the game grew, he got stronger and stronger, and I'm really pleased with his efforts."

Sorensen, signed from HB Koge in the summer of 2016, made his first-team debut for Newcastle in the Premier League Asia Trophy in July.

The 20-year-old, a Denmark Under-21 international, signed a new contract with United in January.