Leo Shahar

Leo Shahar's first senior involvement with Newcastle United came in unusual circumstances: a substitute appearance in the UEFA Champions League against Qarabağ FK in February 2026, handing a teenage right-back from the academy a debut on the club's biggest stage rather than in a routine league fixture.

Shahar is English with Israeli citizenship and came through Wolverhampton Wanderers' academy, where he spent ten years before Newcastle signed him in the summer of 2023. He turned professional with the Magpies in May 2024. The following season he was part of the squad that won the Carabao Cup; he did not play in the final against Fulham, but his inclusion in the matchday squad drew praise from manager Eddie Howe. At youth level for Newcastle he has been a regular scorer and starter for the U21s in the Premier League 2 and the UEFA Youth League.

His development has run in parallel with England's youth set-up, where he progressed from the U15s through to the U19s. He started all four matches as England reached the quarter-finals of the 2024 UEFA European Under-17 Championship in Cyprus, then captained the U18 side and scored against France in a friendly in March 2025.

In September 2026 Shahar left on a season-long loan to Arouca in Portugal's Primeira Liga, taking the number 2 shirt at the club. He had not yet made his competitive debut for the side.