Newport County have acquired the loan signing of Preston North End’s Noah Mawene, on a one-year deal. The 19-year-old will be looking to gain needed experience.
Mawene, who is the son of North End legend Youl, has featured eight times for the Lancashire side since July 2021 and now has an opportunity for exposure at League Two level. Newport have evidently been busy this week, with a deal for Jamie Miley also being struck with Newcastle United.
The Welsh side look to add Mawene to a team that has undergone somewhat of a re-haul this summer. 14 new signings have already been announced at the Newport Stadium, with Miley and the PNE loanee expected to be unveiled soon.
🤝 Noah Mawene will spend the rest of the 2024/25 season on loan with @NewportCounty.
Best of luck, @MaweneNoah. 💙#pnefc
— Preston North End FC (@pnefc) August 29, 2024
Following two starts towards the end of last season’s Championship campaign, Mawene was able to showcase his emerging talent after a midfield injury crisis paved a way into the first team. Newport will look to offer experience for the teenager, as well as hope for a great addition to the quality of the squad.
County have started their new season in the fourth tier well, with two wins and one loss leaving The Exiles fifth in the table. A narrow 3-2 defeat to newly-relegated Cheltenham Town was immediately matched with a 3-1 victory at home to Doncaster Rovers. On Saturday, Newport racked up three more points in another 3-1 win, this time against Accrington Stanley.
A disappointing display in the EFL Cup first round however, culminated in a 4-1 defeat to League One’s Leyton Orient. This will open the league up as the Welsh side’s focal point this season – something the addition of Mawene will look to strengthen.
The 19-year-old was mainly a youth academy servant for the Lilywhites and has appeared in the Under-18s set-up as well as the line-ups for the Central League. Despite the limited minutes in comparison to the rest of the Championship, the midfielder has a tackle success rate of 85.7%, leaving Mawene in the 95th percentile of similar players in the second tier.
According to the Lancashire Post, Preston’s young talent had this to say about his move to the fourth division outfit:
“I have been at Preston since the age of 13 and probably in my comfort zone a bit there. I needed to open my eyes to life away from Preston. The loan was something I was looking for and after speaking to the head coach and his assistant, I think Newport is perfect for me.
“They are ambitious and the way they want to play is brave. The objectives of where the staff and players want to get to really appealed to me.
“I’m here to develop and improve because as far as I’m concerned, I haven’t accomplished anything yet. I’ve played a few first team games at Preston, but at 19 I haven’t had a career yet.
“I’ve watched the Newport highlights from this season and there is a lot of talent in the squad. The team will always come first, and it is something I want to be part of because I think I can thrive in this squad and environment. But actions speak louder than words and I’ve got to prove what I can bring to the table.”
Writer’s View
This benefits both sides as well as Mawene; prior to Paul Heckingbottom’s appointment, PNE were lacking the offer of competitive loans for their younger prospects. The 19-year-old will be able to nurture his talents in a league that will be less physically demanding, but just as important in a footballing and developmental sense.
Newport’s season has started pretty well, to which the midfielder will look to help continue. County have utilised the loan market very well with these two recent announcements and can offer a great platform for Mawene to shine. Hopefully, for everyone involved, this move can alert Preston to the true talent he has to offer.
The maturity in the interview will also really resonate as something Heckingbottom will be looking for in his younger players, as well as the first team. A move away is definitely the correct decision as both clubs prepare for the rest of their campaigns in respective divisions. Such a bright knowledge of the tactics demanded at his new club already shows how clever a footballer Mawene is, and could blossom into.
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