Under-21s preview | Shahar relishing South Shields test | OneFootball

United's second-string were held to a 1-1 draw against their Hull City counterparts in their opening pre-season fixture of the 2025/26 season last weekend and face the Mariners, who compete in the National League North, at the 1st Cloud Arena.

Shahar, who was named in a senior matchday squad for the first time during Newcastle United's 2-1 home win against Brentford in April, is one of a handful of Academy products to have trained with Eddie Howe's side, travelling to Austria in the opening weeks of pre-season, and the teenage defender feels he is reaping the benefits of his involvement with the senior squad.

The 18-year-old right-back told newcastleunited.com: "I started the first week of pre-season with the first-team and I feel like it's a good way to get into the pre-season flow. Being with the first-team, it gets you fit as fast as possible to be ready for the season.

"I've had two games now, one with the first-team and then with the under-21s, drawing against Hull. It was good to get an opening of how my fitness levels are and I feel very good and happy with where everything is going.

"To be in and around the first-team is going to benefit me. Training regularly with the squad is going to make me a better player as well as a person."

Newcastle's youngsters face the Mariners in a pre-season fixture last season, with teenage winger Johnny Emerson on target in a 1-1 draw for the young Magpies in front of over 1,400 spectators.

Shahar, who has captained England at under-18 level, is looking forward to another encounter against senior opposition after featuring in the Magpies' behind-closed-doors win against Carlisle United last month, playing the first-half of a 4-0 win against the Cumbrians.

"Playing against men's teams is good as a younger player because that's where you strive to get to," Shahar added. "It's good to get those kinds of different challenges to help my development.

"As a younger side playing against senior opposition, we'll have to be smart (against South Shields) in the way we play as we can't always go toe-to-toe with them due to their physicality but it will show the level we're at and how we've done during pre-season. It will be a good test."

Kyle Crossley, who joined South Shields from United last summer after a four-year spell at Newcastle's Academy, will not feature in Sunday's friendly as the 21-year-old winger suffered a multi ligament injury after colliding with an opposition player during a pre-season friendly against Carlisle.

Shahar offered sympathy to his former teammate, along with the Magpies' second-string squad, ahead of what will be a prolonged period on the sidelines.

He added: "I heard the news and I was devastated for Kyle. He's a great lad and was a good character around the training ground whilst he was at the Academy. It's disappointing for him and, hopefully, we put on a good game for him. "It's part of football but it's never nice to sustain a big injury like that so all the lads were sorry for him and we had a chat about how good of a person he is."

Tickets for Newcastle United Under-21s' pre-season friendly away at South Shields on Sunday, 3rd August can be purchased here.