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| Prospects like Sammy Ameobi and Haris Vuckic will be eager to make an impression in the next 12 months |
A Europa League campaign ought to offer the likes of Haris Vuckic, Shane Ferguson, James Tavernier and Sammy Ameobi a route into the first-team as the fixture schedule is likely to be packed and manager Alan Pardew will need to utilise his squad.
The aforementioned players have shown promising glimpses in their limited first-team experiences so far, but they can't afford to waste the next year of their careers and must force their way into the reckoning.
Vuckic's talent has been obvious since the moment he moved to St James' Park from Slovenian outfit NK Domzale as a fresh-faced 16-year-old in 2009.
He made his debut later that year in the League Cup and immediately looked confident and it seemed inevitable he would swiftly become a Newcastle regular.
Vuckic can play in the centre of midfield or slightly further forward and at 6ft 3in he has a physical presence which should allow him to make an impact at a young age.
However, his career has been blighted by injuries since his initial early appearances for the Magpies and he now desperately needs a breakthrough season.
Vuckic has been incredibly unlucky. He missed most of his first season with knee and ankle injuries and dislocated his finger on his Premier League debut in August 2011 after impressing in pre-season.
That knock caused him to miss four months of first-team action, but he showed enough on his first Premier League start in December 2011 to highlight his potential.
Vuckic looked raw but West Brom struggled to handle him and he went close with a number of superb, ferocious long-range efforts.
He also impressed the season before in the Carling Cup against the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal, so much so that the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea were said to be considering a move for him.
The Slovenian has been lauded as a wonderkid for three years now though and, at 19, he will be wanting to make an impact at St James' Park now.
Vuckic spent some time on loan at Cardiff last season but only played five times before returning to Newcastle, where he again struggled with injuries.
His career has been extremely stop-start but Newcastle could do with an exciting young player like him making the breakthrough ahead of what will be a testing campaign.
He will turn 20 in August so he still has time on his side, but if he is to realise his potential, the forthcoming season will be a crucial one for him.
As for Ferguson, he looks lightweight for the Premier League but has worked hard to gain strength and is clearly highly-rated by Pardew.
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| Ferguson will turn 21 before the start of the season |
A substitute performance against Stoke in the 2010/11 season, capped by a weaving run which almost resulted in a consolation goal for a Newcastle side that were well beaten at the Britannia Stadium, offered a lot of hope but Ferguson finds his route to the first-team blocked.
Jonas Gutierrez's industry makes him a crucial member of the team for Pardew and it is hard to see Ferguson displacing him soon.
The left-back slot may be a more realistic opportunity for Ferguson to fight his way in though, with Davide Santon a possible right-back should Danny Simpson leave.
Tavernier is yet to make an appearance in the league for Newcastle but loan spells at Gateshead, Carlisle, Sheffield Wednesday and MK Dons have built up his experience and he looks ready to challenge for a place in the first-team squad next season.
He signed a new three-year deal at St James' Park earlier this week after speculation about his future, and Newcastle's lack of strength in depth in defence should give him some opportunities to prove his worth to Pardew in the next campaign.
Another youngster looking to have a big season will be Nile Ranger, who Newcastle have seemingly tried endlessly to get off their books.
Ranger is very raw but showed a lot of good signs in Newcastle's Championship-winning campaign, although his off-the-pitch scrapes seem to have scuppered his chances of success with the Magpies.
If he can somehow knuckle down and concentrate on his football, he has enough about him to revive his career and unlock his potential, but it will be up to him to prove to Pardew that he is a changed man.
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| Ranger's career has stalled over the last year |
There are plenty of others who will be looking for a big campaign, such as Dan Gosling, Sammy Ameobi and Mehdi Abeid, so Pardew has an array of youngsters at his disposal who offer great hope for the future.
Newcastle are always on the lookout for new talent, too, as the acquisition of Coventry's Gael Bigirimana and Frenchman Romain Amalfitano proved, so the talent currently at the club know they only have a limited time to prove their worth before someone else is brought in and placed ahead of them in the queue.
The Europa League campaign should be a blessing for those youngsters as Pardew is likely to give some a chance both in that competition, the League Cup and the league, but it is up to them to make an impact quickly or become forgotten men who have to ply their trade away from St James' Park, at least temporarily.
Newcastle haven't had a great track record of developing youngsters good enough for the Premier League, with Andy Carroll, Shola Ameobi and Steven Taylor the only real top flight players the club has produced recently, along with Tim Krul, who was signed late in his development.
For every Carroll or Taylor there has been a Tamas Kadar or Matty Pattison, but there is a growing belief there are a number of youngsters at the club ready to make an impact.
Newcastle's current batch of youngsters are extremely talented, but now is the time for them to shine.
The future for Newcastle looks bright regardless due to their successful transfer policy, but the young players already on their books need to make sure they are a part of it.
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