Newcastle United may have faced setbacks in European competitions against AC Milan and Chelsea in the EFL Cup, but there’s a different table where they stand out this season. According to the latest CIES Football Observatory Weekly Post, Eddie Howe’s team leads the Premier League in terms of the average height of their starting lineup.
A brief look at Newcastle’s regular starters explains the ranking. Dan Burn, a commanding presence in Newcastle’s defense at 6ft 6in (198cm), surpasses the average height of a UK male (5ft 10in).
Burn, who returned to his boyhood club in January 2022 from Brighton, has made 66 appearances and scored three goals. Adding to Newcastle’s height advantage is Lewis Miley, who, though not as tall as Burn, stands at 6ft 2in (189cm) at just 17 years old. Miley made his Premier League debut as a substitute against Chelsea last season, earned his first start in a 1-0 win over Manchester City in September, and secured a European appearance in November against Borussia Dortmund.
In addition, goalkeepers Nick Pope and Martin Dubravka, both having started this season, are 6ft 3in tall. Newcastle’s average height for the season is recorded at 185.08cm, placing them ahead of Manchester United (184.36cm) and Liverpool (184.04cm) in second and third, respectively.
However, despite leading domestically, Newcastle ranks 36th globally across 53 leagues. They fall more than 2cm short of Hungarian side Kecskemeti KE in this international comparison.
