Newcastle United winger Rolando Aarons was given a squad number this season as he was set to star for the club in the Checkatrade Trophy, according to the Chronicle.
The regional newspaper reveals that United had resorted to fielding him in the reserves, as well as planning to use him in their Checkatrade Trophy clash with Doncaster Rovers after boss Rafael Benitez chose not to list him in his Premier League squad for 2018/19.
The Newcastle outcast – who only has 18 Premier League appearances under his belt – was said to be given his squad number of 16 from last season in case he appeared in the Cup fixture, but he pulled out less than an hour before the match after two clubs from Bulgaria and the Czech Republic registered their interest in signing him.
The speedster eventually joined Czech side FC Slovan Liberec on loan for the campaign.
OPINION
This surprise reveal from journalist Lee Ryder was unexpected – after being left out of Benitez’ Premier League squad, many would have expected Aarons not to receive a squad number. However, as he was clearly not in the Spaniard’s first team plans, he attempted to utilise him in a lesser-Cup fixture in what could have been a bid to get him more game time, in case a potential move did not materialise. The news of his squad number may come as a surprise to many fans, but as the report states, he did not get a chance to use it after acting on interest from Europe. Nevertheless, joining FC Slovan Liberec on loan must have been a blessing in disguise for Benitez, as he would have undoubtedly wanted to offload a player with just 18 Premier League appearances to his name. Aarons’ move was best for everyone involved – and it remain to be seen whether he will come back an improved player.