'Good to be back' - Newcastle United youngster returns to training after injury blow & first-team call-up

Newcastle United midfielder Travis Hernes has been back training with the Under-21s this week after months on the sidelines.

Hernes has been sidelined with injury since February, shortly after breaking into the Newcastle first-team matchday squad. The 18-year-old was named on the bench against Fulham in the FA Cup and Aston Villa in the Premier League back in January but hasn’t been seen since.

His last taste of action came in an FA Youth Cup fourth-round defeat to Bournemouth in mid-January. Four months on and he was back on the training pitch to help Newcastle Under-21s prepare for the Northumberland Senior Cup final on Tuesday night.

Hernes wasn’t part of the Young Magpies squad for the match as they beat Blyth Town 2-1 at St James’ Park to claim the trophy for the first time since 2018.

Despite his playing season being over, the teenager was pleased to be back on the grass as he took to Instagram to post an image of himself in training along with the caption: “Good to be back after four months.”

Hernes joined Newcastle from Shrewsbury Town in the summer and impressed for the club’s under-18s and UEFA Youth League sides during the first half of the campaign, earning a call-up to train with Eddie Howe’s first-team squad.

Reflecting on his experience with the first team this season, the Norweigan youth international told TV2: "It’s crazy. You hear nothing, and you can’t do anything but look around and try to take it in. It’s like what you dream about when you’re little.

"When I was called up for first-team training, it was crazy to think that I’ve played with all these guys here on FIFA and they just have no idea who I am.

“There are players you see on TV and think ‘wow, they are good’. So, when you sit on the bench, all you want is to just experience what it’s like to be on the pitch in a Premier League match. It doesn’t feel real when you’re in the dressing room with Champions League footballers. But you just have to get used to it.

“When you train with the team every day and you’re taken out on the bench, it shows you’re doing something right. I have to continue to do my best and show that I deserve that place in the squad."