Newcastle United aren't exactly flourishing with senior wingers right now, but one teenager that is in and around the first-team picture is a teenager the club scouted north of the border.

Newcastle's scouting network spotted Carlisle-born Johnny Emerson in Scotland, with the youngster plying his trade at Queen of the South and Annan Athletic before handing him a youth contract. Since then Emerson has put pen to paper on a professional deal and made his first-team bow in pre-season under Eddie Howe.

Howe ran the rule over the winger, who can play on the left or the right, against SpVgg Unterhaching early in the summer and then against Hull City on UK soil. This season he has continued to catch the eye in front of a watching Howe at second string games, making 12 appearances, scoring twice and assisting once.

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After a clutch of reserves headed out on loan in January, Emerson is aiming to stake his claim and said this week: "People like me and some of the older lads will need to step up and keep the group together which is big when the team is changing a lot and making sure we have all the same values and attitude heading into each game. The morale is high, training has been good everyday and everybody's attitude has been top each day."

Emerson, was actually a pre-takeover acquisition in 2019 and has grown up in the Academy system. The winger, who played in the UEFA Youth League last season, said earlier this term: "Being at the academy since 2019, and first coming on trial, I think it was quite different from starting at a boys club in Carlisle called Northbank to then moving to play in Scotland for Annan and Queen of the South and then coming to Newcastle, having my parents drive me an hour four to five times a week from Brampton. I think it’s all helped me to be the player and person I am today."

Howe spoke on Saturday night, after naming Sean Neave on the bench for the FA Cup tie at Birmingham, about young players having to hit the "right level" to feature in his squad.

Emerson is already fired up to impress, and added: "Seeing people who have progressed through to the first-team from the academy like Lewis Miley and Joe White has been very inspiring because it shows it’s possible and the pathway is there if I do all the right things. The goal is to try and follow a similar pathway as Lewis because, ultimately, he’s living our dreams by playing in the Premier League and Champions League."

Emerson was on show during Newcastle's 3-1 defeat to West Brom in Premier League 2 this week but will be looking to bounce back with a win on Friday night against Leicester at Whitley Park.