Newcastle United have enjoyed a phenomenal campaign this season and Eddie Howe will be thrilled with the progress his squad has made during his first full season at St James' Park.
The Magpies are currently fourth in the Premier League and are in strong contention to fulfill one of their biggest targets less than 18 months since their Saudi-led takeover with Champions League football in sight if they can continue their dominance over the remaining eight league fixtures.
Indeed, Howe boasts a squad full of hungry and ambitious players who have all rightfully earned their plaudits this season, however, in their pursuit for trophies and dominance in future, there will be no time to rest on their laurels and they must continue to build their North East powerhouse by adding more talent.
Since becoming one of the richest clubs in the world back in 2021, Newcastle have been linked with numerous world-class players who come with hefty price tags and, although there have been some hugely impactful signings like Alexander Isak and Bruno Guimaraes, Howe has also polished up some of the players he inherited.
Miguel Almiron, Joelinton and Sean Longstaff are just a few of the mainstays who have revived their careers on Tyneside to become key components in the success seen at the club this season and in the summer, Howe could step up his strengths in player development by unearthing raw talent from the academy.
Adding depth will be key to Newcastle's chances of continuing their consistency on the pitch and if they do qualify for the Champions League next season, it will be massively advantageous to have a strong rotation of players to ensure they can comfortably compete in multiple competitions.
One player who has been thriving in the academy is Dylan Stephenson, a young centre forward who has been polishing his skills with hopes that he can break into the highly-competitive first team squad.
Who is Dylan Stephenson?
The 20-year-old has been rising through the ranks of the Newcastle youth set-up since joining at the age of 14, making his U23s debut at just 16 years old, which is a testament to his talent in front of goal.
The hot prospect joined Scottish side Hamiliton on loan in January to earn some much-needed first-team football, with three goal contributions over his first 10 appearances so far.
Stephenson has been a prolific goal threat for the Magpies U18s and U21s over his short career so far – scoring 39 goals and registering eight assists in 96 appearances ahead of his move to the Scottish Championship.
The Blyth-born striker has captured a lot of attention for his tenacity in the attacking threat, with journalist Peter O'Rourke giving Football FanCast an insight into the youngster's future:
"He's very highly-rated at Newcastle, Stephenson, scored a lot of goals for the U21s side and is now on loan with Hamilton in Scotland – so I think they just want to get him first-team experience.
"It will be difficult for the young player to try and break into that Newcastle team right now, especially with how they are progressing under Eddie Howe, competing at the top end of the Premier League and possibly in the Champions League next season.
"You'd imagine they'll be strengthening the squad with even bigger names coming in and that will just increase competition for places, so it's going to be difficult for Stephenson, but I think the next stage for his career they'll loan to find a loan in England next season to ensure he gets regular first-team football to continue his development."
With that being said, the future is looking bright for Stephenson and if he can continue to thrive on loan next season there is no reason why he can't become the club's next Isak in years to come at St James' Park.
