Ex-Sunderland youngster opens up on his summer release and discusses his exciting new move

The Scotland youth international was released by the Black Cats this summer, with the stopper having been a member of the under-18 squad last season.

And the Tangerines moved quickly to snap-up the youngster – who has spoken of his excitement at joining the Scottish side.

“I’m delighted to be here and can’t wait to get started,” Newman said.

“I got told before we broke up for lockdown that I wouldn’t be staying on at Sunderland but within a couple of days Dundee United came forward and were really keen to bring me in.

“It’s clear there are people here who care about the club and the players and that drew me here straight away.

“I’d say my main strength is my consistency – I like to think of myself as an all-round keeper. I feel comfortable with the ball at my feet and in my hands.

“I want to get my name out there and make an impact on the lads here and get some involvement in the first team. Hopefully if I do well I’ll be able to get some game time.

“You only have to look at the names who have come through at Dundee United to realise how promising the academy is moving forward."

While he will initially join-up with the club’s reserve squad, Newman is hopeful that he can ultimately challenge first team goalkeeping duo Benjamin Siegrist and Deniz Mehmet.

“I’m excited to work alongside Benji and Deniz, the pair of them have great backgrounds especially from down south and to learn under Neil Alexander [goalkeeping coach].

“Since I’ve arrived everyone has been super welcoming, it’s like they’ve known me forever.

“That’s really nice because sometimes when you’re the new guy coming in it can be intimidating, especially when there are guys who’ve played hundreds of games and got so much experience and I’ve not played a single game but everyone has been so good to me.”