Newcastle United goalkeeper Rob Elliott is set to leave the club this summer with his contract running down to expiration.
With the Premier League season being extended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, clubs are allowed to set up what are essentially temporary short-term contract for those players who were set to end their current deals at the end of June.
For someone like Elliott however, it wouldn't be seen as a necessity for Newcastle to take up this option on a 34-year-old goalkeeper who hasn't featured for the Magpies since a 1-0 defeat to Manchester City just after Christmas in 2017.
But Elliott has been a fantastic servant and has continued to support the local community in Tyneside with an academy he runs with Paul Dummett, Dwight Gayle and Matt Ritchie.
It is also worth noting that the Irish International hasn't made any fuss about his lack of game time since Martin Dubravka's arrival in 2018 and he has continued to support the team during training sessions.
What the future holds for Elliott
Someone like Elliott looks to be an ideal person to have involved with the youth setup at St James' Park as his influence on the youngsters would surely be felt.
The goalkeeper has been with the Magpies since their return to the top flight in 2011 and despite never being a first-team regular he has always been there when required with him being called upon on number of occasions due to injuries to the club's number one.
Elliott was arguably one of the standout performers during the otherwise dismal 2015/16 season where the club were relegated to the Championship, with one of his best performances coming in a 1-0 away triumph at Bournemouth. Were it not for Elliott's heroics, the game would have no doubt ended in a routine victory for the Cherries.
He did begin the 2017/18 campaign as Rafa Benitez's number one before Karl Darlow then took his place. But there were no guarantees that this would remain the case and Elliott was always knocking on the door until the arrival of Dubravka in January 2018 and since then both Elliott and Darlow have struggled to even come close to being a Premier League starter.
But as already mentioned, Elliott's loyalty to the club has been second to none which would make him a great influence on any up-and-coming keepers in the academy on Tyneside.
It could be argued that Elliott still has a few years left as a player, even if that is away from Newcastle. Some teams in the Championship would no-doubt love to have someone with the experience of Elliott but with the Newcastle Elite Academy now set up, is this where the goalkeeper sees himself for the long-term?
The academy
Despite being named as a director of his own football academy already set up in the North East, Elliott has been unable to keep out of the action and has shown up at several sessions with the youngsters who attend giving them a great opportunity to learn from one of their heroes.
Surely something could be put in place where this academy is able to link up with the Magpies' youth setup as a feeder academy as this would be great for the club, but also for the players coming through as it could help them develop if they have a familiar face around them in both settings.
There is no doubt that a player who has been with any football club for almost ten years deserves a future role with them and Elliott is someone who knows Newcastle United inside out.
The supporters would be pleased to see a great servant remain with the club for the future as the next generation of players come through and hopefully break into the first team.
