Sean Longstaff is living out his boyhood dream by playing for Newcastle United in the Premier League.
Rafa Bentiez took a chance on Sean Longstaff in pre-season and the Spaniard liked what he saw from the midfielder. Formerly a player of the Under-23 squad, Longstaff has now earned his place in the first team of Newcastle United. Supporters were thrilled to see Benitez give a young local boy a chance with the first team and now he is a regular starter in central midfield.
Supporters were rightfully concerned with the lack of depth in the middle of the park after Jonjo Shelvey, Ki Sung-yueng and Mohamed Diame were unavailable for several weeks. However, now it will be hard to convince supporters, and maybe Benitez as well, that Longstaff should leave the lineup when the other midfielders return.
Liverpool, Chelsea, Man City and Tottenham
Longstaff has been the most fascinating player for Newcastle this season. He is not the most talented player on the roster, far from it, but his adaptability is admirable. Coming up from the academy squad in Premier League 2 to playing with Newcastle’s first team in the Top Flight is a difficult task, but Longstaff has done surprisingly well.
Things took off for Longstaff when he made his Premier League debut against Liverpool on December 26th. Benitez turned to his bench and called the 21-year-old over in the 73rd minute to replace Kenedy. He did not have much time to showcase his skills, but he put in a decent performance and almost scored a goal on his debut.
He then went on to start matches against Chelsea, Cardiff City, Manchester City and Tottenham. Not only did Longstaff start in those matches, he had a meaningful impact by making smart passes, constantly intercepting the ball in midfield and he tried being as active as he could offensively while Isaac Hayden sat back.
Longstaff’s performances in recent weeks have impressed everyone on Tyneside and he is showing Benitez that he has a reliable youngster on his squad who is not afraid to step up to major challenges. After Manchester City lost at St. James’ Park, Pep Guardiola specifically stated that his side lost because of how well the duo of Longstaff and Hayden played. Longstaff is attracting attention with his good run of form and it is being reported that he could be called up to play for England’s Under-21 squad against Poland next month.
Overall, Longstaff is proving to be a special player for Newcastle. He is showing younger generations that hard work and determination can take one up through the ranks to make it as a professional footballer in the most competitive league in the world. Longstaff is a good example of why Mike Ashley should invest more into the club’s academy.