Magpies keeping tabs on Reynolds

Mar 11 2010 by Steve Brown, The Journal

“Not a good move for us but it would be a good move for Mark Reynolds and it would be churlish of us not to give him

that opportunity if it comes.” United have also been credited with an interest in Jamie O’Hara, the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder on loan at Portsmouth.

But while the St James’ Park club continue to scour the cut-price end of the transfer market in preparation for next season, 18-year-old Academy product Brad Inman is hoping his form for Alan Thompson’s reserve team – rewarded at this week’s annual Sport Newcastle awards ceremony with the ‘Wor Jackie’ trophy for the second string’s most promising youngster – could yet earn him promotion to the first-team set-up and save United some cash.

“We’ve got a good group of lads, all the second year are pushing through and most played on Tuesday night for the reserves, so that was good to see,” Inman said, after the reserves were knocked out of the Tynetec Northumberland Senior Cup semi-finals by Northern League outfit Whitley Bay.

“We’ve also got a couple of good youngsters at under-16 level, first years, coming through. So hopefully in the next couple of years you might see some breaking through to the first team.

“Thommo (Thompson) just says that in every reserve game, you don’t know who’s watching. If Chris Hughton and Colin Calderwood are watching and if you play well, there’s a platform and structure for us to progress, and train with the first team.

“He (Hughton) is normally focusing on the first team, they’ve obviously got a lot more to concentrate on in trying to get promoted. But him and Colin do tend to come down and take a session with us, and that’s good contact with them.

“It’s always good to get a training session off the first-team manager, just to see what that’s like.

“Hopefully I can just get my head down and work hard, make a permanent spot in the reserve team, then hopefully try and push on to be on the (first-team) bench more. I’ve just got to work hard to the end of the season and see what happens from there.”

Of his award, Inman added: “It was a good night and great honour to win the ‘Wor Jackie’ trophy. Peter Beardsley, Kenny Wharton, Alan Shearer and Steven Taylor were there, and listening to their stories from when they played back in their days is something you live for.”