Academy. Diallo "determined to win" ahead of Crewe clash

amadou-diallo-crewe
Published
19 Nov 23

Amadou Diallo is hopeful Newcastle United Under-21s can conclude their 2023/24 Bristol Street Motors Trophy campaign in victorious fashion ahead of Tuesday's trip to Crewe Alexandra (kick-off 7.45pm GMT).

The young Magpies travel to the Mornflake Stadium aiming to end their Northern Group F campaign with a positive result against the League Two side, who currency occupy fifth spot in the English fourth tier.

Newcastle’s second-string may be unable to progress into the knockout stages of the competition following a 1-0 defeat against Wrexham before losing via penalties against Port Vale following a 1-1 draw but Diallo revealed the club's participation in this season’s EFL Trophy campaign has proved a beneficial one.

The 20-year-old winger, who plays primarily on the left flank, told nufc.co.uk: “It’s been a good experience for us. We played really well in the game against Wrexham but unfortunately we didn’t win and then against Port Vale, we stayed in the game and grabbed a late equaliser but were unlucky to lose on penalties but it showed that the group is always willing to fight for each other.

“All the players look forward to playing in front of crowds because that’s where you want to end up at the end of the day. It’s a great tournament for young players coming through and you can learn a lot from the games. That’s where we want to be - playing in men’s football.

“We’re very determined to win. It’s an important game, playing away from home against a Football League side. The last few days in training have been good and we want to get back to winning ways as we lost our last game.

“We want to bounce back as our recent performances have been good. We need to get back to those levels and show what we can do."

Diallo has recently travelled with United’s first-team squad for their last two away matches in domestic football, featuring on the bench against Manchester United and AFC Bournemouth in the Carabao Cup and Premier League respectively.

The former England Under-17 international reflected on his positive experiences with Eddie Howe's side and is determined to build on his recent involvements in the senior matchday squads as he targets his professional debut.

Diallo added: “Taking a step ahead to the first team and seeing what it is about, learning from the best players in the league, has been really good for me.

“It’s good to see other lads from the under-21s be part of the group. It shows that some of us are playing well and have been given that opportunity by the gaffer.

“It was great to go to Old Trafford, one of the most iconic stadiums in world football, and the team won there which made that experience even better. Every time you get that call-up to the first team, you want to stay in and make it a reality all the time."

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