Joe White: Newcastle United youngster relishing time on loan at Exeter City

Joe White is experiencing League One for the first time, having had a spell at Hartlepool United in League Two last season

It can be a big jump training every day with a side pushing at the top end of the Premier League to a side mid-table in League One, but Joe White appears to be taking it in his stride.

The 20-year-old midfielder is almost a month in to a loan spell at Exeter City from Newcastle United and is relishing the chance to play senior men's football for the first time.

Despite having yet to make a first-team appearance for the Magpies, the England youth international had been a regular at training alongside the likes of Bruno Guimaraes, Allan Saint-Maximin and Kieran Trippier.

"There's players that have played at such high levels - and are playing at such high levels now - and players with so much experience at Premier League level, so I think you can take so much from them, and training with them most days is massive for me in my development.

"But nothing replicates playing games and starting games at senior level, so it's good in a way, but nothing can substitute playing senior games."

'He pushed me as much as he could'

White is yet to play a senior game for Newcastle, but was part of the squad that travelled to Saudi Arabia during the World Cup break last year

Those senior games have been coming almost as far away from Newcastle as it is possible to go in English football - at League One Exeter City.

But White's relationship with Exeter boss Gary Caldwell, from his time as as a coach at Newcastle, helped convince the youngster that this would be a good move for him:

"The first game he watched before he came in, I remember at half-time he spoke to the lads and then pulled me in individually and said 'I can see your qualities and I think I can get that bit more out of you and I want to see it in the second half', and I think he took that into the months I had with him.

"That's what I really liked about him, he pushed me as much as he could and as much as I wanted to, and that's what he's doing here, so I've got a really strong relationship with him and I'm enjoying working under him here."

White has yet to score a goal in the English Football League

White has started Exeter's last two games and Caldwell says he was keen to bring him in during his first transfer window in charge at St James Park.

"I knew he would fit into this group, I knew he had the talent to play at this level and higher," the Scot told BBC Sport.

"He's still a young player, he will have games where he needs to learn and develop, and we are a club that is very willing to work with that player and help and support him in everything he needs to be the best he can be."

White shares a house with Exeter's Southampton loanee Kegs Chauke - and the two watched together earlier this week as Newcastle overcame Chauke's parent club in the Carabao Cup semi-final.

He has already made plans to head to London for the final - a day after Exeter City host Cambridge United in League One.

And it seems it is unlikely to be the last final for Newcastle, who have soared this season under Eddie Howe and backed by their wealthy Saudi Arabian owners - with European football looking a distinct possibility.

It is something White hopes his parent club can secure, and that could lead to him - after hopefully doing well in Devon - being needed by Howe next season.

"The more games you've got, because of how well they're doing, it can help because hopefully you can get minutes in certain competitions because of the amount of games," White said.

"But at the same time you're competing against better players - the best Premier League players at the minute - to try and take their place.

"That's what's training's about, just looking at who is in your position and what you can do to be as good or if not better than him."