Newcastle and the U-17 talent of Ireland One of the twenty names on The Guardian’s yearly “Next Generation” list, which aims to showcase potential stars for each Premier League team, is Rory Finneran.
Among the top “first-year scholars” in the Premier League are players born between September 2007 and August 2008, including Chelsea’s Shumaira Mheuka and Manchester City’s Stephen Mfuni. The 16-year-old, who joined from Blackburn during the summer, was included in this list.
The Irishman’s ability and potential have been emphasized by writer Louise Taylor, who notes that “Finneran’s accomplished left foot – although he is also fairly excellent with his right – has already helped win him 10 Republic of Ireland’s Under-17 squad
Finnernan, who was named Ireland’s Under-15 player of the year in 2023, enrolled in Blackburn’s academy at the age of eight, but he had long been a target of several of the top teams in Europe. Finneran chose to attend the St. James’ Park academy instead of accepting the scholarship offer from Ewood Park after Newcastle emerged victorious in the competition for his signing.
Born in February 2008, defensive midfielder Finneran gained notoriety earlier this year when, following his appearance in Blackburn’s FA Cup match against Cambridge United, he became the club’s youngest player ever.
Looking back to 2016, Newcastle’s “Next Generation” stars have had varying degrees of success. Lewis Miley, who received the award in 2022 and has since played in the Champions League for his childhood team, continues to be the star player. Meanwhile, Eddie Howe’s team saw 2019 recipient Joe White play in four Premier League games, which may be a promising indication for young Finneran.