Magpies keep close eye on Saints’ starlet

NEWCASTLE United are believed to be monitoring Southampton teenage starlet Tyler Dibling as they look to strengthen their youth team ranks.

The 16-year-old is someone with whom Newcastle are very familiar.

He bagged a sensational first-half hat-trick in April at St James’ Park for Southampton against Newcastle in the Premier League 2.

The under-16 England international is highly rated on Tyneside and is someone Newcastle are reportedly keen on signing.

The teenager is an attacking midfielder who is capable of playing as a forward.

So impressive were Dibling’s performances for Southampton’s under-18 and B-team sides it prompted Saints’ boss Ralph Hassenhuttl to include the teenager on the bench for a Premier League tie against Brentford last season.

The comparisons to former Southampton star Gareth Bale have been made by plenty of Saints fans.

Bale made his Southampton first team debut at the age of 16, a feat Dibling could match should he remain with the Saints next season.

“We know his qualities and we are not jumping on this, we try to keep it calm,” Hassenhuttl said of Dibling in April.

“He is one of the shining players in our youth, we know that, but it is always very difficult to keep them in our club.

“The good thing is we see how good he is, the bad thing is other clubs are seeing it - but you can be sure we will try to push him and to support him.

“I think he represents one of the good ones.”

Hassenhuttl is not the only one who has been impressed by the 16-year-old’s performances.

Southampton’s B team boss Dave Horseman was effusive in his praise of the teenager after he made the step up to the Premier League Two.

“Incredible, to be honest,” said Horseman when asked what he made of Dibling’s St James’ Park hat-trick.

“He is clearly a quick learner because we didn’t have much time to work on things in training yesterday but he picked up what we wanted and got into those spaces and he was so clinical.

“We know Tyler has a good attitude and a good willingness to learn but to do it at Year 11, as a 16-year-old against some players who are 21, shows he has huge promise and we have to provide that pathway.

“We are a unique club because I don’t think there are many 16-yearolds, let alone two, starting in the B team at under-23s and executing the game plan as well as he did.”