Newcastle United academy player Jamie Sterry sent first-team star Christian Atsu “flying through the air” with a crunching tackle during an open training session in Portugal, according to the Chronicle.
The regional newspaper report that there were several big tackles flying in during a ball retention drill, but there were no hard feelings afterwards with the squad in high spirits.
The Chronicle claim that there was a close rapport between the players during the open session as the Magpies prepare for their opening day fixture against Tottenham on the 11th of August.
OPINION
These are good signs for Newcastle as we head into the new season, with the squad seemingly gelling well ahead of the crucial campaign. Despite Sterry flattening Atsu in what sounds like a huge tackle, the Ghanaian’s cool reaction afterwards shows that this is a group of players who are in good spirits ahead of the new term. You would think that the sight of an academy star crunching into an established first-teamer would cause some kind of controversy, especially considering Atsu’s struggles with injury recently, but there was no such reaction here. Rafa Benitez looks to be doing a stellar job ahead of the season, and who would expect anything else? The Spaniard has shown himself to be an exceptional manager during his time on Tyneside, and his conduct in the face of adversity this summer has been highly admirable. Hopefully the club can enjoy a strong end to the window with a couple more signings before deadline day giving them momentum heading into the season.
