OPINION
Adam Armstrong has a golden opportunity to save his Newcastle United career from extinction and must seize his reported chance in pre season.
The 21-year-old attacker is currently training with the first-team, as reported by the Chronicle, for pre-season due to Rafa Benitez being short of players to call upon currently.
The Spanish manager previously hesitated about promoting the 5ft 8in attacker (Transfermarkt) to first-team duties for pre season, as stated by the Chronicle, but seems that Armstrong has been allowed a chance to make a positive impression on Benitez.
The Chronicle’s report about the player being called up to the first-team reveals that there is a chance for him to play his way on to the plane for next week’s trip to Ireland and this shows Benitez is open-minded about utilising the player at least for the summer.
Armstrong can easily force Benitez to consider him for his first-team plans if he blows him away with his displays in pre-season because as of yet the Magpies haven’t signed a new forward to bolster their first-team squad.
The Magpies are desperately in need of finding a lethal finisher who can supply their team with the goals needed to bring success to St James Park as they only managed 39 goals in 38 league games last season.
Until Benitez successfully welcomes a new attacker it means the door is ajar for Armstrong to kick open in order to stake a claim for why he should stay.
The 21-year-old’s Magpies career is reportedly in jeopardy as the Chronicle previously reported that Benitez was willing to sell the youngster in order to raise funds to buy a more proven talent.
Armstrong, according to the same report, would love to stay at the club that he has risen through the ranks of and would no doubt be keen to add the 24 senior appearances he has already made for the Magpies.
The promising forward never managed a goal in those outings for the first-team but after a very successful spell at League One’s Blackburn Rovers in the second half of last season he could be ready to fire the Magpies to some form of glory.
Armstrong scored nine goals in 21 games for Blackburn Rovers to help win promotion to the Championship and was constant a thorn in the side of his opposition when he played for the club.
While it’s a huge leap in quality from League One to the Premier League Armstrong could only score against the opponents put in front of him and the confidence gained from his recent spell could finally see him fulfil his potential at the Magpies.
Even if Benitez ploughs on with his pursuit of a proven forward then Armstrong could at least save his Magpies career from ending this summer by making a positive impression in the coming weeks.
The 21-year-old could show Benitez that he is much closer than the Spanish manager believes to being ready for first-team and this could see him save his Magpies career as the experienced boss might look to loan him rather than sell him.
Therefore the door is clearly ajar for the 5ft 8in tall forward to save his Magpies career from being over as all he has do is seize his chance to demonstrate his skills in front of Benitez.
