With Louis Moult on his way, emergence of George Newell could be vital for Motherwell

With star man Louis Moult about to leave Motherwell, George Newell's return from injury may have come at just the right time for the club.
Motherwell striker George Newell (left) hopes to become a regular starter after coming on as a sub at Killie (Pic by Ian McFadyen)Motherwell striker George Newell (left) hopes to become a regular starter after coming on as a sub at Killie (Pic by Ian McFadyen)
Motherwell striker George Newell (left) hopes to become a regular starter after coming on as a sub at Killie (Pic by Ian McFadyen)

The one time Everton youth team player (20) almost scored a low shot within 10 minutes of coming on as a substitute in Saturday’s frustrating 1-0 defeat at Kilmarnock.

“I’ll do my best (to replace Moult),” Newell told the Motherwell Times.

“I’m itching to play as many games as I can.

“I haven’t started a game yet which I’d love to do.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“I think all the strikers at the club now are really wanting to prove themselves.”

Newell signed a one-year contract at Fir Park last summer, but injury problems restricted him to just one first team substitute appearance before last weekend’s half hour cameo at Rugby Park.

’Well bossed large parts of the game but paid for missing several scoring chances.

“I had a couple of niggles on my ankle just after joining Motherwell and then I was on and off the bench after that,” Newell said.

“Then I got a foot injury on one of my tendons.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“I’ve had quite a few months out with that and I’ve just come back last week so I’m itching to go.

“I definitely thought we deserved a draw at Kilmarnock. I thought we were by miles the better team and had a lot of chances.

“Obviously we couldn’t take any but I thought on another day we would have comfortably won that game.”

Newell is off good footballing stock, with his dad Mike, an ex-striker, having scored 119 goals in 528 games during a stellar 19-year career which included six goals in 44 appearances for Aberdeen between 1997 and ’99.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Mike, who is now 52 years old, is perhaps best known for being Alan Shearer’s strike partner at Blackburn Rovers in the 1990s.

The Liverpool-born ace was part of the Rovers squad which won the English Premiership title in the 1994-’95 season, the club’s first top flight success for 81 years.

“My dad said it would be a great opportunity for me to come up here and it has been so far,” added Newell Junior.

“People say I’m a clone of my dad so if they know what he’s like then they’ll know what I’m like.

“My attributes are just being busy and annoying defenders.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“I haven’t started a professional game yet so I just want to do that first and just score goals if I can.”

George’s gaffer at Motherwell, Stephen Robinson, has no doubt about the youngster’s qualities and even compared him to the outgoing Moult.

Robbo, speaking to the assembled press after the match at Rugby Park, said: “Young George Newell came on, who’s a real hope for me for the future.

“He really reminds me of Louis. But he’s trained three days in 11 weeks.

“We threw him on and he nearly scores.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Motherwell have slipped down to seventh place in the Scottish Premiership table after their depressing recent run of defeats.

It means that, for the first time since way back in August, fans may be looking nervously over their shoulders at the wrong end of the table as the Steelmen are just seven points ahead of Ross County in the second bottom relegation play-off spot.

But this Saturday’s home match against 10th placed Dundee would seem to offer Motherwell a definite chance to get back to winning ways.

Newell said: “We feel it’s mainly individual errors which have cost us recently.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“We feel if we can improve on them we could easily have won a few of the recent games.

“We’re still confident going into the next few games.

“We’ve got to get something on the board against Dundee.

“Our bad run is starting to creep in maybe with the fans.

“But we are 100 per cent confident that we can get the three points.”

A single Craig Tanner goal earned the Steelmen a 1-0 victory over the Dark Blues at Dens Park in the sides’ previous encounter this season on October 25.