Rolando Aarons set for starring role after impressive Newcastle cameos

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/sep/04/rolando-aarons-newcastle-united

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He is still only 18 years old but Rolando Aarons has spent the summer hurtling towards adulthood. With a fine pre-season preceding two Premier League appearances for Newcastle United as a substitute, the left-winger has already scored an inaugural senior goal and appears one of the few players capable of deflecting Tyneside fury at Hatem Ben Arfa’s contentious exit to Hull.

On Friday Aarons hopes to provoke panic among Romania’s defence while on international duty for Aidy Boothroyd’s England Under-20 side at Telford with his club manager, Alan Pardew, believing a call-up to the Under-21s cannot be too far away. Indeed, should Gareth Southgate’s side qualify for next summer’s European Championship in the Czech Republic, Aarons will aim to be on the plane.

Much more immediately Pardew must be strongly tempted to start the quick, tricky left-footer in two forthcoming league games, at Southampton and at home to Hull, which promise to have a significant impact on his job security – or lack of it. After loaning his bete noire – but the fans’ favourite – Ben Arfa to Hull, Pardew could do with the emergence of a new hero at St James’ Park.

Considering he does not turn 19 until November things are happening rather fast for a Bristol-raised teenager who has already been the subject of assiduous courting from both England and Jamaica.

“It wasn’t an easy decision because I was born in Kingston, Jamaica,” acknowledged Aarons. “But England is a big opportunity for me and I want to go out there and play and impress and show how good a player I am. I’m buzzing, I can’t wait to go out and experience something new – I’ll be confident because I’m in a good place right now.”

Already hyped as the most exciting youngster to have graduated from Newcastle’s junior ranks in decades, Aarons is an extremely confident character but a seemingly brash exterior is underscored by genuine humility.

Even so, when he pointed to the highly distinctive name on the back of his shirt after heading Newcastle into a 3-2 lead at home to Crystal Palace last weekend, some observers wondered if he was being a bit brazen.

For his part, the winger is adamant the spontaneous celebration was not intended as a piece of showboating. “I’m not big-headed or anything, I just want people to recognise what I’m doing for this team and how much it means to be here,” he said.

“It’s not hard to keep my feet on the ground because it’s not my personality to get carried away with anything. I like to take things in my stride and I’m quite humble. I’m still in the reserve team dressing room and that’s fine. My boys are in there and that’s cool.”

Those reserve team peers were highly amused to see photographs of his goal celebration in the national press. “I was on the physio’s table getting a bit of treatment when someone came in with the newspapers,” he said. “But scoring was a complete shock and I didn’t know how to react to it. I’m happy and honoured.”

The “shock” proved particularly acute for a player used to beating goalkeepers with his feet. “It was the first header I’ve scored in my life,” he said reflecting on a goal which came from a corner in only his second Premier League appearance. “It was just instinct. I didn’t think about it but to see it hit the back of net in front of all those fans was just a crazy feeling.”

No matter that Palace’s Wilfried Zaha ultimately secured a point with a stoppage time equaliser, Aarons succeeded in stealing quite a few headlines from the Manchester United loanee.

“It went from the happiest moment to not so happy in just a few seconds,” said a youngster who made his first-team debut as a substitute against Manchester City last month. “But I was happy to make an impact. I’d been dreaming about that moment for my whole life.

At least Aarons – who was part of Bristol City’s academy until Newcastle lured him north at the age of 16 – has been well schooled by both Peter Beardsley, Newcastle’s reserve team manager and Steve Stone, a former top-class winger turned first-team coach.

“When I first came here from Bristol I found it mentally tough. It took me a while to adapt,” he conceded. “But after about a year and a half I started to feel back to my old self.

“The coaches and the manager have given me confidence and have worked with me day in, day out to help me be the player I want to be. Peter Beardsley has helped me a lot.”