Blackburn boss Tony Mowbray has praised the ‘amazing’ Adam Armstrong after the NUFC loanee scored 3 goals in a week for the League One side, with him bagging a brace in their 2-1 win against Portsmouth at Fratton Park on Tuesday night.
After struggling to nail down regular game time and being played predominantly as a left-winer with Championship strugglers Bolton over the first half of the season, the NUFC striker secured a loan move to League One side Blackburn last month.
He’s been reunited with Tony Mowbray – the manager who he scored 20 goals for during a successful loan stint at Coventry – and he’s found some form once again, scoring 3 goals in 3 starts.
Mowbray is clearly a big fan, with the former West Brom boss saying the following about the 21-year-old after his man of the match performance at Portsmouth this week:
“He’s just a young boy who turned 21 at the weekend. People sometimes forget how tender an age that is for a footballer in a competitive world, playing against men, so I’m delighted for him.
“He’s got amazing attributes, some amazing qualities as a guy, the boys love him, they can see his quality in training and I’m just delighted that he helped the team get the three points.”
He is still young and this is all positive to hear about one of our own, but there’s one lingering fear when it comes to Armstrong amongst several NUFC fans. Has he found his level in the third tier?
He banged 20 in for Coventry in League One in the 2015/16 season, but he’s then struggled during Championship loan spells with Barnsley and Bolton, scoring 9 goals in 60 games.
He needs regular games, that’s the most important thing, however there’s only so much he can prove to Newcastle and Rafa Benitez by scoring in the third tier.
Either way, good to see him doing what he does best again – I just fear that he’ll have to prove he can succeed in the Championship before the club even consider him as a player they could use in the top flight.
Watch his two goals on Tuesday night here:
