Harrison Ashby is under no illusion over the scale of the task now facing him at Newcastle United. The promising full-back has already spoken of his desire to learn from Kieran Trippier and the patience he will need to hopefully one day succeed the Magpies' stand-in skipper.
Ashby's move to Tyneside was a move months in the making, and the £3 million arrival from West Ham was not announced until the morning of deadline day. Hours later, the 21-year-old was paraded alongside Anthony Gordon in front of a jubilant St James' Park crowd as Eddie Howe's side went on to book their place in the Carabao Cup final.
A setback for Javier Manquillo combined with Emil Krafth's ongoing recovery from a long-term injury could see Ashby thrust into senior action sooner than expected. After all, the 21-year-old only made seven first-team appearances for the Hammers, the last of which came as a substitute in the Europa Conference League in November.
