‘Homegrown hero’ Miley leads Newcastle to the top of the table
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Miley, 19, took charge in the closing stages of the Magpies’ 3-0 win over PSV in the league last month.
The midfielder has seen a surge in minutes this season and was recently used at right-back to cover for injuries to Tino Livramento and Kieran Trippier.
“We knew he could play a lot of different positions and it really showed this year.
“He has performed very well at right-back, sometimes at centre-half, and has worked his way through every position.
“He’s always adding qualities and adding new things to his game, but deep down I think he’s a really, really good technical footballer and a great athlete.
“He’s a great person and a great character, so I think he has all those qualities. I think he’s a great player.”
Miley enjoys ‘special’ moment as captain
With three minutes left in the game against PSV at St James’ Park, Howe made his final substitution in an attempt to manage Trippier’s playing time.
As the England player left, he made a beeline for Miley, patted him on the back and put Stanley’s armband on the teenager.
It was a gesture not lost on the Thun army, who immediately began applauding and chanting his name.
Howe denied the gesture was just for show, instead praising Trippier’s commitment to giving the job to a player who will contribute to Newcastle’s long-term future.
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“They like it!” – Newcastle captain Trippier hands Miley an armband after being sent off
Video credit: TNT Sports
The head coach said: “That’s what Kieran is all about. He’s close to Lewis, but I think he gave him the armband on purpose.”
“It’s a great moment for Lewis and shows Kieran’s professionalism and understanding of the game and how much it means to everyone.
“The captain’s armband means a lot here and it was a great moment for Lewis to experience it in the last few stages of the game.”
Miley was similarly confused, but happy to have received the honor.
He said: “It was really serendipitous. It was awesome. I’ve been following this club all my life and I got to wear the armband in the Champions League. My whole family was there so it couldn’t have been better.”
In December of the same year, he became Newcastle’s youngest Premier League goalscorer, but back and metatarsal injuries prevented him from playing in 2024.
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Highlights: Ruthless Newcastle defeat PSV
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However, he has featured in 19 of Newcastle’s 25 Premier League games this season and his versatility could come in handy given the Magpies’ star-studded midfield options.
