‘Beautiful Football’ – Newcastle United Out-on-loan Talent Catches Ex-Star’s Eye | OneFootball

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Former striker Sam Parkin has hailed Newcastle United loanee Harrison Ashby for his pre-assist against Wycombe Wanderers as ‘beautiful football’, though noting his career has not caught fire.

The Milton Keynes-born talent began his career in Chelsea’s renowned youth academy, before fellow London club West Ham United picked him up back in 2010.

Ashby spent 13 years at the Irons, where he hailed club legend Mark Noble, whom he revealed to have helped him a lot.

He attracted the attention of Leeds United back in 2022, but when he eventually left West Ham he linked up with Newcastle.

Highly regarded, the right-back was expected to kick on with his career and development in the north east.

However, now 24 years old, Ashby is yet to make his Magpies debut and is currently on his third loan spell away from the Premier League outfit.

After spending back-to-back seasons in the Championship with Swansea City and QPR, he was loaned out to League One outfit Bradford City in the winter window, where he is not a regular.

Ashby started his first game for the Bantams since January on Easter Monday and played a fantastic curved ground pass to Stephen Humphrys after nutmegging a Wycombe Wanderers player.

Parkin stressed that the Newcastle on-loan star’s career has not gone according to plan despite having a high pedigree when he was young, but Ashby’s impressive bit of play for Bradford’s first goal was hailed by the former forward as ‘beautiful football’.

“The pre-assist from Harrison Ashby for Bradford’s first goal – it’s a little nutmeg on the halfway line and a little arched pass to set Humphrys free, he doesn’t finish, [Bobby] Pointon gets the goal”, Parkin said on What The EFL (26:08).

“[It was] beautiful football from a player who counts QPR, Swansea, West Ham United and now Newcastle United, where he is permanently a player, as his former employers.

“Not really caught fire yet his career, despite high pedigree and being at some big clubs. This was a wonderful piece of play from him.”

Last season, the 24-year-old full-back, who can play further forward on the pitch, was hailed as ‘outstanding’ during his QPR loan spell.