6 Newcastle United players named in this North East Team of the Season

Which Newcastle United players would get in your North East team of the season?

A bit tricky to be honest if you are a Newcastle fan, as most of us will see very little of the region’s other teams.

The bare facts on our main local rivals this 2022/23 seasons are that whilst NUFC are going to finish top four in the Premier League, Middlesbrough and Sunderland only got as far as the play-off semi-final stage in the Championship.

The simple thing for many fans would be to say that it should be a team of Newcastle United players, as NUFC are the only north east club in the top tier AND have qualified for Champions League football next season.

However, some local journalists do have an advantage as they have to often cover more than one of the region’s clubs.

One of those is Scott Wilson of the Northern Echo, who has picked his North East Team of the Season and included six Newcastle players….

GOALKEEPER

NICK POPE

There was extremely strong competition in this category, but it’s impossible to look past Pope, who proved to be one of the buys of the summer after joining Newcastle from Burnley for just £10m. Pope’s shot-stopping skills were a key part of the Magpies’ defensive strength all season, from his Man of the Match display at Brighton in the first away game to the reflex stop from Thomas Castagne in the final seconds of the final home fixture that helped confirm a Champions League place.

DEFENDERS

KIERAN TRIPPIER (NEWCASTLE)

Newcastle’s ‘Captain Fantastic’ was the heartbeat of the club’s rise into the top three. His leadership skills shone through throughout the campaign, and were perhaps best exemplified by the ‘penalty switch’ that took the pressure off Alexander Isak at Nottingham Forest. Trippier’s sublime set-piece deliveries were one of Newcastle’s key attacking assets, and his tally of seven assists puts in him the top ten players in the Premier League in any position.

DANNY BATTH (SUNDERLAND)

SVEN BOTMAN (NEWCASTLE)

Newcastle had to be persistent to get their man, but their patience paid off as Botman’s £32m move from Lille last summer turned out to be a masterstroke. The 23-year-old has started every league game since the start of October, with his positional excellence, aerial prowess and comfort in possession enabling him to establish himself as one of the leading centre-halves in the Premier League. His partnership with Fabian Schar has formed the bedrock of Newcastle’s defensive excellence.

RYAN GILES (MIDDLESBROUGH)

CENTRAL MIDFIELDERS

BRUNO GUIMARAES (NEWCASTLE)

Newcastle’s midfield has hit the right notes all season, but it is Guimaraes who has been the conductor-in-chief. The Brazilian is an exceptional midfielder, combining energy and tenacity with exemplary technique and sublime creative vision. His value to Eddie Howe’s side is immense given that he can play in an attacking-midfield role or as a defensive shield protecting the back four, and he is firmly established as a fans’ favourite.

HAYDEN HACKNEY (MIDDLESBROUGH)

ATTACKING MIDFIELDERS

MIGUEL ALMIRON (NEWCASTLE)

His form might have tailed off slightly towards the end of the season, but Almiron’s mid-season burst was one of the real highlights of Newcastle’s campaign. In the space of seven matches between the start of October and mid-November, the Paraguayan scored seven goals, at least two of which were strong Goal of the Season contenders. The undoubted pick, however, was his remarkable flicked finish at Fulham.

CHUBA AKPOM (MIDDLESBROUGH)

AMAD DIALLO (SUNDERLAND)

FORWARD

CALLUM WILSON (NEWCASTLE)

Having been written off at various stages of the season, Wilson will end the campaign with the best goalscoring tally of his Newcastle career. He goes into Sunday’s final game with 18 goals to his name, having exploded into life in the final six weeks of the season, scoring 11 goals in the space of ten matches. His performances have confirmed his status as one of the best number nines in the Premier League, and earned him a deserved recall to the England squad.

Substitutes:

Anthony Patterson (Sunderland), Darragh Lenihan (Middlesbrough), Dan Burn (Newcastle), Dan Neil (Sunderland), Joelinton (Newcastle), Jack Clarke (Sunderland), Glen Taylor (Spennymoor)

Joelinton will be having a laugh at not making this first eleven of the season.

Whilst as for the likes of Alexander Isak, Fabian Schar, Joe Willock and Sean Longstaff not even making the bench…!!!