Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has pledged his full support to Lewis Miley, condemning online criticism aimed at the 19-year-old midfielder as “totally unjustified.”
The teenager recently limited replies on a post celebrating his 50th first-team appearance for Newcastle,made on X following sunday’s game against Bournemouth,as a precautionary measure given his age. This comes after a segment of social media users questioned Miley’s place in the starting lineup during the goalless draw at the Vitality Stadium.
Howe acknowledged the potential impact of negative comments on young players, stating they can be damaging “if they absorb it,” but emphasized Miley’s “strong mental” fortitude. the newcastle head coach is moving to shield Miley from unwarranted scrutiny as the promising academy graduate continues to develop within the first team.
“Lewie is an outstanding player and a player we need to support and protect,” Howe said. “Sometimes, when you look at him, you forget how young he is because of his stature and maturity both on and off the pitch.”
Howe urged all players to disregard negativity and focus on support from trusted sources.”All players need support, help and guidance. Anything othre, I’d encourage the players to switch off from and just try to listen to the people that really matter in their lives like their family, friends and, of course, us. We will do everything we can to support him and treat him as the talent that we certainly know he is.”
