YORK City have signed Newcastle United centre-back Kyle Cameron on loan – and are hoping to add another young St James' Park defender to their squad.

Cameron, 18, has been training with the Minstermen for the last week, along with a team-mate from the Magpies under-21 side who is also on Bootham Crescent boss Jackie McNamara's wanted list.

Hexham-born Cameron helped the Toon Army reach the FA Youth Cup semi-finals last season and represented England at U16 and U17 level before switching allegiance to Scotland for 2014's European U17 Championship in Malta.

He recently completed a loan spell at Evo-Stik Northern League premier division side Workington and McNamara is regarding him as a straight replacement for Will Boyle, who returned to parent club Huddersfield last week after they sold fellow defender Murray Wallace to Scunthorpe.

On Cameron's arrival and his pursuit of another Newcastle defender, believed to be either Slovakian under-21 international Lubo Satka or former Sheffield United loan signing Jamie Cobain, McNamara said: "Will Boyle going back to Huddersfield gave us a real problem, so we had to make sure we were covered enough in that area.

"Will was keen to stay on but Huddersfield recalled him because they have sold another left-sided centre back to Scunthorpe.

"We're still looking at that situation but we couldn't afford to wait around just in case he became available again.

"We had a look at Kyle in training first and I think he's similar to Femi (Ilesanmi) in that he can play as a left-sided centre back of at left back.

"After Will went back, we were left without anybody else, other than Femi, who can play in those positions.

"We've also had another centre back in from Newcastle who we can hopefully get in and he can play on the left and right side."

Cameron is yet to make his professional debut but McNamara feels his experience at Workington will prove good preparation for the rigours of Sky Bet League Two football.

"He's had a loan spell already in non-League, so he's seen a different side of football aside from under-21s," reasoned McNamara.

"The biggest difference between under-21s and our first team is the physicality – but he will have got a little taste of that at Workington."

Having opted again for a youthful approach towards recruitment during the transfer window, McNamara argued that his team have the necessary experience to carry them through until the end of the season.

"Kyle is young but he would have good experience around him in Dave Winfield and Femi, to an extent," said the ex-Celtic captain.

"We've also got experience behind him in goal, whether that's Scott Flinders or Michael Ingham, in front of him with our midfielders Russell Penn, Luke Summerfield and James Berrett and a bit in attack with Danny Galbraith and Vadaine Oliver."

McNamara went on to reiterate that he is open to interest in out-of-favour trio John McCombe, Marvin McCoy and Eddie Nolan.