From Chelsea to Newcastle: The Journey of Livramento and Hall
Football is a beautiful but competitive sport. Clubs always want to win trophies and assert dominance to leave a mark in the history of the sport. But trophies aren’t the only things organizations and fans are proud of. If football is like religion to you, then you’d know that having an academy that produces great talents brings a great amount of joy and pride to the supporters.
Players born, brought up, and developed in the locality of the club, if they make it to the top level, bring immense pride and build a stronger bond between the team and its fans. Their success becomes a symbol of the club’s values and a source of lasting inspiration for the community.
Sir Alex Ferguson’s famous treble-winning squad was built on key players developed from the academy, such as Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, and David Beckham. This legacy is often referenced in debates comparing managerial greats like Pep Guardiola and Sir Alex, highlighting the role of homegrown talent in achieving historic success.
How Lewis Hall Went from Newcastle’s Fourth-Choice Left Back to Playing for England
While all of this could sound like a fairy tale, the percentage of players making it into the top tier of football from the academy is less than one percent. Even highly-rated prospects in the academy fail to handle the pressure of the big leagues like the Premier League.
There are very rare cases where clubs let highly-rated prospects leave, and those prospects then develop into world-class players. In recent times, Cole Palmer to Chelsea could be one of the best examples of such a scenario. In this piece, we’ll take a look at promising fullback duo Lewis Hall and Valentino Livramento, who started off in the Chelsea academy and now have come back together at Newcastle.
Life in the Chelsea Academy
Tino Livramento, born on November 12, 2002, in Croydon, England, began playing football at a young age. He joined local club Roundshaw before catching the eye of Chelsea scouts, who brought him into their academy at the age of eight. Lewis Hall, born on September 8, 2004, in Slough, England, started his footballing journey with Binfield FC, a grassroots club near his hometown. His talent was evident early on, leading to his recruitment by Chelsea again at the age of eight.
Anthony Gordon Is Letting His Football Do the Talking at Newcastle
Livramento made great progress in the academy and was known for his attacking prowess on the right, which led to his development as a right-back, though he also played as a right winger in his youth. He was a highly-rated prospect and a key player in Chelsea’s under-18 squad. Livramento was also a regular in the England youth setup. In 2021, he won the Academy Player of the Year award but in the same year transferred to Southampton for a fee of £5 million to get more game time.
Hall was a great prospect for Chelsea as he could operate as a fullback, wingback, and midfielder. Despite his young age, he often played at a higher age group in the academy, making his debut for the under-18s at the age of 16 and going on to become a standout player in the under-21 squad. Like Livramento, Hall was a regular in the England youth setup.
Senior Careers Before Joining Newcastle
In the Premier League 2021-22 season, Livramento played 28 matches for Southampton, contributing a goal and an assist. He was a threat down the right-hand side, completing 30 dribbles, winning 36 fouls, and getting 48 touches in the opposition’s box as a fullback. His directness combined with his blistering pace made him gain recognition, and by the end of the season, he was a highly-rated player.
While his attacking game is what he’s known for, defensively he was good, winning 144 duels and completing 47 interceptions and 176 recoveries. In April 2022, Tino suffered an ACL injury that put him on the sidelines for almost a year. In the summer of 2023, he made a move to Newcastle for a reported fee of £32 million.
Unlike Livramento, Hall stayed at Chelsea and got his senior debut in the FA Cup when he was 17. In the 2022-23 season, Hall played nine matches for Chelsea in the league and also made appearances in the FA Cup and the League Cup. He demonstrated great maturity and decision-making. In the summer of 2023, he joined Newcastle United on loan with a subsequent obligation to buy for £28 million.
Life at Newcastle
Livramento went into his new club knowing he’d face stiff competition from veteran right-back Kieran Trippier, who had been a great asset to the club. In the 2023-24 season, he started 12 games and made a total of 26 appearances in the league. He was reliable and solid when called upon, but he didn’t get enough time to showcase his talent.
Kieran Trippier Rolling Back the Years for Eddie Howe’s Newcastle
However, this season, with Trippier being out with injuries, Livramento has gotten his run of games, starting eight and appearing in all 11 matches so far. He’s back to doing what he does best: dribbling, progressing the ball, earning fouls, and recovering possession.
Lewis Hall had a dull start to his Newcastle career, starting eight matches and appearing in 18 games during his first season. Just like his counterpart on the other side of the pitch, Hall didn’t get enough game time to show his qualities, but this season has gone his way.
Starting eight out of 11 games played, Hall has an assist, 31 chances created, 11 successful crosses, and 22 accurate long balls, which make him one of the highest-ranked players in these fields in his position. Defensively, he’s won 15 aerial duels and has completed 12 interceptions and 47 recoveries.
Tactical Analysis
Livramento is a rapid player, and he uses his pace at both ends of the pitch. He has the ability to progress the ball up the pitch and go around players. His tendency to make overlapping and underlapping runs and pick out the right pass makes him a danger in the final third. In case his team loses possession, he uses his pace to get back quickly and make crucial challenges and tackles.
Hall is stylistically very different from Livramento. He has great defensive positioning and applies pressure as soon as his counterpart gets the ball to win it back. He does well when he has to track back and make a challenge but also reads the game well to win the ball in situations where he needs to apply pressure.
Hall is also a strong carrier of the ball, often doing so through the midfield, and his composure and quality of passing make him a great asset to have in this time period, where inverted fullbacks are a trend.
Conclusion
Newcastle has had a decent start to the season, sitting 8th in the Premier League table. Both Hall and Livramento have been consistent starters for the club. Their performances earned them call-ups to the England squad. Hall featured in the second half of England’s 3-0 win against Greece. In the 5-0 victory against Ireland, both Hall and Livramento played the full 90 and put in solid performances.
As the international break ends, the duo will look to help their club climb the Premier League table, starting with a home game against West Ham. With Lewis Hall still only 20 and Valentino Livramento being 22 years old, Newcastle should be delighted with the business they’ve conducted. The fullback duo has yet to hit its full potential, and their journey together at Newcastle promises to be one to watch.
By: @TSpec1al
Featured Image: @GabFoligno / Robin Jones / Getty Images