Newcastle United goalkeeper discusses ‘challenging’ loan, Nick Pope and Eddie Howe’s impact

Being named in a league team of the week may not seem a big deal for some - but it was a sign of progress and development for Gateshead’s on-loan Newcastle United goalkeeper Dan Langley.

The Magpies stopper secured the first loan move of his career during the summer and when he agreed to spend the entire season with United’s National League neighbours. The deal brought Langley into contact with former Magpies defender Mike Williamson, who leads the Heed back to non-league’s top tier last season and the links between the two clubs were further strengthened when ex-United keeper Rob Elliot was named as Gateshead’s technical director earlier this year.

For Langley, the move presents a chance to develop his own career away from the sanitised world of Under-23s football, where improving players rather than results can often be seen as a sign of success. Thrust into the world of the National League, with careers on the line and players going the extra mile for each and every point, Langley is now on a steep learning curve on the south bank of the Tyne.

It has been an awkward start to the season as a Heed squad decimated by injuries has struggled to find consistency and as they current sit just outside of the relegation zone after claiming 12 points from their opening 13 games of the campaign. Langley, to his credit, has established himself as their number one stopper and has adapted to life in the National League - but he admitted there have been some surprises along the way.

He told The Echo: “It’s been challenging but I am enjoying it.

“It’s all about your development and trying to get through to the next stage of your career. I am enjoying every moment here and I just want to keep progressing throughout the season here. The style of play helps me because that’s the way football is going. Goalkeepers have to be comfortable with the ball at their feet.

“That brings challenges but there are a lot at this level. It’s physical, more than I thought it would be. We aren’t the biggest team physically, so that brings challenges but we are working through them. The tempo of the game in the National League is very good and that took some getting used to but it’s all lessons to learn for me and for the team as a whole.

“You have something meaningful to play for, you’re playing for fans, players’ careers are at stake, there is pressure. I want to play in the biggest games there are, in front of the biggest crowds, this is what you aspire to be. There is progression in this and the experience of playing in front of crowds like we did at Wrexham for example, is very helpful for me as my career develops.”

‘He is a top goalkeeper’

Despite spending the majority of his week with Mike Williamson’s side, Langley does return to Newcastle to work alongside the likes of Nick Pope and Karl Darlow as he gains further insight into what it takes to reach the top level of the game.

The 21-year-old stopper has forged a strong bond with United’s senior keepers even since he trained alongside them for the first time four years ago. The arrival of England keeper Pope has proved beneficial as the former Burnley star has made a positive start to life on Tyneside following his £10m summer move to St James Park.

Langley revealed Pope has become a useful source of advice as he looks to develop in own game and earn an extension to his current deal that will come to an end next summer.

“We are pretty much the same build, although Nick is a little bit bigger than me height-wise. It’s been really good going back into Newcastle and learning from Nick because he is a top goalkeeper and I would be foolish not to learn from him.

“I get little bits of advice from him and he is a top man to be fair. When he came in, it was just perfect for me because he was willing to chat to me about where I can improve and about goalkeeping in general.

“All of the goalkeepers are the same. Karl Darlow, Mark Gillespie, even Loris Karius when I went in just after he signed, he was doing little bits. It’s been really beneficial for me being able to speak to experienced goalkeepers and use their advice to try and push my own game forwards.”

‘There is an intensity demanded of everyone’

Langley trained with United’s senior men on a regular basis during Steve Bruce’s reign at St James Park and that continued once the former Manchester United defender was succeeded by current Magpies boss Eddie Howe.

Many players have comments on a change in intensity and the level of demands places upon the squad by Howe as he looks to help the United owners deliver on their ambitious plans for the club. The change in style has not gone unnoticed by Langley.

He said: “There are different styles of management to start with but the manager now has more intense sessions, longer sessions and really strong sessions. He speaks to me on a regular basis about my performances at Gateshead and when I got back to Newcastle for sessions too.

“There is an intensity demanded of everyone involved on the training pitch that he wants to see on matchday so you absolutely have to be at the top of your game each and every minute. You have to be playing at top pace all of the time and that helps you going into a matchday.

“It’s been really good and it’s showing on the pitch because the lads are doing really well at the moment. The approach is clearly paying off.”

‘It’s a massive moment’

As his parent club look to firmly establish themselves in the race for European football with a positive result at Manchester United this weekend, Langley is preparing for a landmark moment in his own career.

Saturday’s visit to National League rivals Altrincham will provide the Magpies keeper with an opportunity to experience an FA Cup tie for the first time as the Heed look to reach the first round for the second consecutive season. It would provide a welcome boost for both player and club as they look to gain some momentum after a challenging start to the campaign.

“It’s a massive moment and one that I am looking forward to,” he explained.

“We saw what Altrincham were about in the league game and it’s now about preparing for the game as well as we can. We need to tidy up a few things on the training pitch and do what we can to beat them and get into the first round because that would be massive for the club.

“I just want to get as many games as I can and help Gateshead achieve things like getting into those rounds of the FA Cup and finish as high up the table as we can. Hopefully the performances and results will go in the right direction because we all enjoy our football here and we just want to move forwards.

“There is a great group of lads here, we gelled as soon as I came in because I knew a few of them. We all want to play a part in making this club successful.”