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Newcastle defender Lewis Hall says his lack of game time in the first-team left him 'in a dark place' last season.
The 20-year-old left-back started just 11 games for the Magpies across all competitions as he struggled to settle in after completing a £28million move from Chelsea.
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When asked about his stop-start first season on Tyneside, Hall told talkSPORT: “It was really tough... You start doubting yourself and things around you. It can be quite a dark place after training.”
He admitted that having friends and family around was a huge support for him, and praised teammates Tino Livramento, Lewis Miley and Dan Burn for looking out for him.
He added: "Tino Livramento, Lewis Miley, players like that who, when I went into training, I got on well with them. They were players that really brightened up my day.
"I think there are a lot of players, like Dan Burn, for example, who have been really good to me. He’s always looked out for me and understood how I was feeling when I wasn’t playing."
This season has seen a change in fortunes for Hall, who has already made 11 starts this campaign, impressing in both the top-flight and on recent international duty with England.
Interim boss Lee Carsley handed the youngster his debut against Greece where he came on at half time, and he went on to start against Republic of Ireland too earlier this month.
He's got history with England's incoming boss too. Thomas Tuchel handed an 18-year-old Hall his Premier League debut in November 2022 when they were at Chelsea in what went onto be, incidentally, a 1-0 loss to Newcastle.
Reflecting on his experience with Tuchel, Hall praised the German coach’s intelligence and the positive influence of his backroom staff as he said: "His staff were really friendly, and I learned a lot training under him.
"I remember from when I worked with them before that his whole team was really friendly. They're all really good coaches and really intelligent" Hall said before adding that: "I'm looking forward to him taking the job.
As his attentions turn back to the Magpies, Hall revealed that his recent performances have been due to his confidence.
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Hall said: "I'm obviously feeling quite confident at the minute. I think it's easy to, when you're feeling confident, take your foot off the gas.
"But for me it's a motivation to continue to keep going and keep working hard.
With Newcastle just a point off the top four, Hall is optimistic about the team's potential.
He said: “There’s places this team wants to be and things we want to achieve. We’re looking to do that this season.
Hall also reflected on the club’s aspirations, which include pushing for a top-four finish in the Premier League and chasing silverware in the Carabao Cup: “Achieving those things would be massive for the club." They face Brentford in the quarter-finals in December.
Newcastle take on West Ham on Monday evening, live on talkSPORT, before they travel to Crystal Palace the following week.
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