‘St Max regen’: Some Newcastle fans hail 18-year-old academy star

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A number of Newcastle United fans have been hailing Magpies academy star Michael Ndiweni for his latest Under-18 masterclass.

The 18-year-old striker has been in sensational form this season, scoring a staggering 11 goals from just 11 appearances.

On Friday, Ndiweni scored a brace to help the Newcastle U18s reach the fourth round of the FA Youth Cup at West Ham’s expense.

Peter Ramage’s young Magpies ran out 3-2 winners at Rush Green in East London.

The game was surprisingly goalless until midway through the second half.

Ndiweni opened the scoring in the 70th minute when he fired home on the rebound from a tight angle after his first effort was saved.

Divin Mubama equalised for West Ham five minutes later, but Jay Turner-Cooke put Newcastle back ahead on 89 minutes.

Ndiweni then added a third late on, skilfully evading a sliding challenge in the box before firing home at his near-post.

A thrilling finish to the game saw George Earthy get West Ham’s second moments later, but the Magpies held on.

The win sets up a fourth-round home tie against Colchester United, who claimed a 3-0 victory against Arsenal.

And plenty of Newcastle fans on Twitter were delighted with Ndiweni’s latest heroics:

Ndiweni earned a spot in The Guardian’s Next Generation 2020 feature, highlighting 20 of the best young talents at Premier League clubs.

Although Newcastle now have serious financial muscle and could buy ready-made stars, it would be incredible if a homegrown star went on to lead their line in years to come.