Newcastle United defender Jamal Lewis has been handed the perfect chance to revive his stalling career after being called up to the Northern Ireland squad for the upcoming international break. The left-back's first-team opportunities on Tyneside have been limited in recent months after injury struggles and the form of summer addition Matt Targett.
Lewis featured in the Carabao Cup win over Tranmere but will find first-team minutes with Newcastle hard to come by this term, despite being included in Eddie Howe 's 25-man Premier League squad.
The Magpies boss left Lewis out of the first-team plans for the second-half of last term, with many expecting his departure in January or over the summer. Now, the player must seize the huge chance to prove his fitness and improve his form against Kosovo and Greece later this month.
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With Paul Dummett in and out of the side, Dan Burn able to fill in at left-back and Targett consistently looking assured on that side of the defence, Lewis faces an uphill task to revive his St James' Park career. However, Howe has always publicly backed the former Norwich left-back to come good and fulfil his early potential.
“He can have an important role,” Howe said in August after his cup cameo. "He’s very athletic. He’s a very good character and a very good all round player.
“He is very attacking minded, so that’s very much the model of full-back we love. We will wait and see what happens with him but very pleased with him today, it was an important return.”
Speaking about the decision to pick Lewis, Northern Ireland boss Ian Baraclough said: "Having spoken to him he is in a good place fitness wise. I think it can worry a player when you keep picking up these niggles and you are going to have procedures on them.
"It puts doubt in your mind and Jamal has gone through quite a bit over the last year to fight to regain his fitness. This has been over a period where a new manager has come into his club in Eddie Howe.
"That all plays on the mind if you are not quite right. Jamal is in a much stronger position. I know he has been named in the 25-man squad for Newcastle in the Premier League. So he will be looking to get his opportunities with his club. He will come to us in a different frame of mind."
First-team minutes with his country may spark the upturn in confidence that sees Lewis earn a crack at Premier League minutes in the coming months.
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