Former Nottingham Forest star Jamaal Lascelles netted his first goal of the season for Newcastle United on Sunday. His header against Wolves handed the Magpies a precious point and sparked thoughts regarding where he sits among the players to have emerged from the Forest academy.
The youth system at the City Ground is one of the greatest aspects at the football club by some distance. Over the years several players have graduated from the academy and departed to play at the highest level in English football.
Lascelles is one of those players and his form during the last 18 months at St James’ Park will surely have him firmly on the radar of England boss Gareth Southgate.
The 25-year-old made his first-team debut in 2012 but would then join Stevenage on loan to continue cutting his teeth in League One. His breakthrough campaign was the 2013/14 campaign when he struck up a formidable partnership with Jack Hobbs.
In total he made 65 appearances for the Reds, scoring four goals for the club before his move north to Newcastle.
Doubts
Some supporters did doubt what impact he would have in the Premier League. When he left the City Ground he was still a relatively raw 20-year-old and some questioned his potential. His last contract at Newcastle was worth £40,000-a-week (Spotrac), highlighting his serious talent.
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Those people have been proved badly wrong, however. He is now Newcastle’s captain, their most reliable defender and with 147 appearances to his name a firmly established Premier League defender.
It would be somewhat surprising if he doesn’t receive international recognition at some point; whilst he is also showing the form that suggests he could earn a move to a bigger club than Newcastle at some point.
Michael Dawson, Andy Reid and Wes Morgan are just a few players who have gone onto play in the top-flight and Lascelles has to be considered a similar success story from the academy as those three fan favourites.
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