An incredibly disappointing campaign for the Newcastle United faithful ultimately resulted in relegation to the Championship in May, and further strained the relationship between the club and its supporters.

The decision to appoint Steve McClaren a year ago was questioned at the time and proved to be a disaster, as he was unable to construct a side capable of steering clear of a relegation battle at any point during the season.

However things may be looking up for the Toon Army, as they managed to pull off a real coup by persuading the hugely reputable Rafa Benitez to stay on in the Championship, and now the rebuilding job begins.

With many high profile names expected to leave, it may provide opportunities for younger players to step in and make their mark.

FLW’s Tom Percival identifies THREE youngsters on the books at St James’ Park that Benitez must look to utilise this campaign.....

 

Aleksandar Mitrovic

The Serbian international showed glimpses of his undoubted talent during an ultimately miserable campaign for the football club, but will be required to have a big season in the Championship next time around.

The forward looks to have all the assets to deal with a physical division, and should shine next year if utilised correctly.

Mitrovic should note how successful Andy Carroll was the last time Newcastle dropped down to this level, and should be eyeing up the league’s top scorer accolade.

He will be a big part of Newcastle’s plans for next season, and Benitez needs to ensure that he delivers.

Adam Armstrong

The pacey striker had a hugely successful loan spell with Coventry City in League 1 last season, netting 20 goals in the division as his side narrowly missed out on the play-off places.

During his stint in the West Midlands, Armstrong proved himself to be ready for Championship football, and at just 19 years of age, will only get better with more experience.

What Benitez plans to do with Armstrong next season remains to be seen, but if he does decide to keep him in the North East, he needs enough game time to allow his talent to flourish.

His stint with the Sky Blues showed how good he can be with regular first-team football and he will hope he can achieve that next campaign with his boyhood club.

Rolando Aarons

Next season is hugely significant for the talented winger, who consistently threatened to break into the first-team but has never made a position his own.

At the age of 20, Aarons now desperately needs to progress as a footballer, and a season in the Championship could do him wonders.

With a fresh start under new management, and injury problems hopefully behind him, Aarons will hope he can be utilised correctly under Rafa Benitez and play a prominent role in a side that hope to be a real force in the Championship next campaign.

He will undoubtedly have competition in the wide areas, but needs to prove that he is the man to consistently make it into the starting XI.