Former Nottingham Forest youngster Matthew Bondswell could be in line for a promotion to the Newcastle first-team.
Eddie Howe has promoted four youngsters to the first team this week ahead of the weekend’s clash against Arsenal.
Bondswell is one of them, with Jack Young, Dylan Stevenson and Elliot Anderson the other academy talents.
Bondswell left Forest in 2018 to sign terms with RB Leipzig in Germany.
He only made a handful of appearances for the Reds and Forest were powerless to prevent Bondswell from leaving the club.
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Back in March, he returned to England with Newcastle and now looks to be on the way to first-team stardom.
Bondswell played for the under-23s on Monday as they beat Forest 3-1 in Premier League 2. The 19-year-old claimed an assist on the night as Anderson fired home a hat-trick.
He has played 17 times for the under-23s but could now be about to embark on an adventure with Eddie Howe’s team.
Playing left-back will help him. Paul Dummett has a long-term injury problem making Jamal Lewis the only recognised left-back in the squad.
During 2021/22, Bondswell has also shown capabilities to play on the left wing and that will only enhance his first-team chances.
Intrigue: Forest fans will monitor Bondswell progress
Given the cut-throat nature of youth football, Forest were powerless to prevent Leipzig from poaching Bondswell.
That move didn’t quite work out and perhaps, in hindsight, the defender should have stayed with Forest.
Clearly, the teenager is now a better player for his Bundesliga experience and he will have got expert coaching out there.
With Newcastle bottom of the Premier League, it seems unlikely that a youngster will be thrown in at the deep end.
Howe does have a good track record with youngsters though and it can only bode well that Bondswell has been called up to first-team training.
Forest will now monitor his progress with intrigue.