Eddie Howe caught up in Lewis Miley mania as Newcastle boss heaps praise on the 17-year-old… who has been the star of their US tour

The most telling compliment Eddie Howe has paid to Lewis Miley – the breakthrough star of Newcastle’s US tour – is that you would never believe he was 17 years old.

It is true. The midfielder has not won plaudits here because of his age. More so, because of his performances in the isolation of their quality – he passes forward at pace and with unerring accuracy, always wanting the ball and covering ground to make sure he gets it.

On Wednesday night in Atlanta, Miley was up against Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez, the world’s most expensive midfield player. He was also alongside team-mates Sandro Tonali and Joelinton, at a combined £90m. Miley outshone them all.

One supporter, on social media, asked who the academy graduate most resembled – the names Michael Carrick, Jude Bellingham and Michael Ballack featured prominently. And that’s not bad company to keep.

Howe knew the questions were going to come afterwards and, rather than play down the growing sense of excitement around the England youth international, he revealed that what we’re seeing now he has known for a long time.

Teenage midfielder Lewis Miley has been the breakthrough star of Newcastle’s US tour

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has no plans to send Miley out on loan this season

‘I haven’t come across many 17-year-olds at his level,’ said the Newcastle boss. ‘I’ve coached some really good players at that age who you think could go on and have exceptional careers, but sometimes that doesn’t happen.

‘He’s not surprised me because I’d seen it for six months at the back end of last season, just how well he was developing and how strong he looked in the group.

‘The biggest challenge for Lewis will be mentally. He’s going to get a lot of press coverage from this moment and a lot of exposure. It’s handling and dealing with that. It’s then waiting for his opportunity while keeping his head. He’ll have lots of people in his ear. All those things contribute to how you handle success and, when it comes really early, it can be really difficult. We’ll try and help, guide and educate him as best we can.’

To that end, there are no plans to send Miley out on loan this season.

‘The plan for him has been consistent in my mind,’ said Howe. ‘There are no thoughts about sending him on loan, he’s too young to be exposed to that at the moment.

‘He needs to stay with his family and learn and develop around the players we have. Physically, it’s always the biggest test for someone so young, but he is a very good athlete, strong, a good size. He looks like he can handle the environment he’s in. The next step for us is to push him. I’m sure he’ll get minutes this year.

‘It’s a fine balance for me to protect him at times and push him at others. If you didn’t know his age, you wouldn’t say he was 17.’

And there it was, the biggest clue as to Miley’s likely involvement this season. We’re not talking about him because he is a teenager. We’re talking about him because he is a very good player.