EAGER NEWTON IS ON THE UP AND UP
IT’S taken just 12 months for Joe Newton to go from Non-League Colney Heath to Coventry City via Royston Town – and the young Sky Blues left-back is determined to keep learning on his steep trajectory.
The 18-year-old joined the League One outfit in September after scouts flocked to Royston’s Garden Walk to see him in action.
With a good head on his shoulders, Newton explains how grateful he is for the opportunity and to the people who have helped him get this far. But even he can’t quite believe the rapid rise. Intensity
“It’s been really good,” Newton told The FLP. “The first couple of weeks were difficult getting used to the intensity coming from part-time football and training twice a week. Trying to get up to the intensity of the lads has been hard but I am certainly getting there.
“It puts it all into perspective – this time last year I was playing Step 5 (the ninth tier of English football) for Colney Heath so I’ve come a long way in a year.
“I was going to college at the EDSV Academy and my coach Chris (Watters) is the assistant at Royston. Before last season he asked me to go down to training to see what it was about but I was a bit wary because I was thinking,
‘I’m 16, I’m not sure I will be up to the level’. In December I decided to go down and I never looked back.”
With his attacking full-back attributes, Newton quickly became known as one of NonLeague’s brightest prospects at the Southern League Premier Central club.
Coventry eventually won the race for his signature and, following the end of a loan spell back at Steve Castle’s Royston this season, he is an U23 regular as he aims to eventually push into the first team.
And Newton feels being thrown in to Step 5 football as a 16-year-old has been crucial in his early development.
“At the start it was tough to get up to the physicality but as soon as I got to grips with that I was really enjoying it,” he said. “I was playing for the college as well at the time and it really helped me with that. I found the physicality there a lot easier because I was getting used to playing with men.
“So I was really thankful to the manager Thommo (Colney Heath boss Ryan Thompson) for bringing me in at such a young age. You don’t really see too many 16-year-olds at that level.
“You have to learn really quickly in Non-League so I’m really grateful to Thommo and then Steve for giving me the opportunity at those levels.”
His ability let to selection for England colleges where he played against the likes of Australia, Italy and Wales. “It’s great to meet new people and play in different countries in a tournament,” Newton added. “That and then playing as many games as possible for Royston has really helped me to improve and get stronger. Improve
“Quite a lot of lads are still at college at my age so I’m really lucky I’ve got the opportunity to play at this level.”
Newton has moved in with U23 team-mates Dexter Walters and David Bremang.
“It’s the first time I’ve been away from home so I’ve been adapting to having to cook for myself !” he laughs. “It’s all part of learning.”
And he says learning from first team left-backs Sam McCallum and Brandon Mason – “two of the best in League One” – is proving invaluable.
He looks to England and Aston Villa defender Tyrone Mings, who played in NonLeague for Yate and Chippenham, for inspiration as he aims to work hard to eventually get into the first team picture. But, closer to home, there is the perfect sounding board in future brother-in-law Steve Arnold, the Northampton keeper.
“He played Non-League and he’s a great role model for me,” Newton said. “He gives me advice and tips if I’m struggling being away from home because he was at Norwich when he was 16 and knows the feeling. So he’s been massive for all my career and he’s given me a lot of opportunities.
“He’s told me to get my head down, stay focused and think about the end goal of being a professional footballer.”