Longstaff will keep feet on ground even though he’s edging closer to United call
HARD WORK THE KEY: SEAN
SEAN Longstaff is the latest youngster who could be handed his Newcastle United first-team debut.
The hard-working midfielder has worked his way through the ranks at the club after being spotted playing for North Shields Athletic Juniors.
But the refreshing thing about the 20-year-old is that he knows that the hard work is only just beginning.
The Geordie knows he does not yet have his foot on the first rung of the ladder; instead he will tell you that at this stage, both of his feet are firmly on the floor.
Even though Longstaff could be on the same pitch as the likes of Jonjo Shelvey, Jamaal Lascelles and Dwight Gayle, he’s taking nothing for granted yet.
United had no qualms about putting Longstaff up for pre-match media duties alongside some of the seniors, and he dealt very well with what some find a tricky situation as journalists fired questions his way.
Winning a professional football contract has been a poisoned chalice for many a youngster at United down the years.
Many have flickered on the radar and quickly been forgotten about because they’ve had the wrong attitude, the wrong advice or simply the wrong manager.
But Longstaff has had hard work instilled into him by his parents, who played netball and ice hockey at excellent levels respectively.
His father David is well-known in the North East as the former Newcastle Vipers and Great Britain skipper who won every honour in the domestic game in this country.
Just for good measure, Longstaff’s uncle is Alan Thompson, who played for Newcastle, Celtic, Aston Villa and England in a glittering toplevel football career.
Longstaff has been spoken about as a youngster with potential in recent years but, rather than bask in the limelight, he was more likely to be seen helping to lay out ice hockey kit for his dad at Whitley Warriors.
It’s that type of grounded attitude that will make any potential firstteam debut for Newcastle so satisfying for those who are close to the academy product.
Speaking about his background, Longstaff told The Chronicle from Ireland: “It’s important to have that behind you.
“My dad has been there through his life on the ice hockey circuit.
“My mam was a netball player and they are so supportive. They have been there through the ups and downs.
“There’s also Thommo (Alan Thompson) who offers advice, so I am in a pretty privileged position to have that many sports people around me who have been there and done it.
“If I need questions answered they have been in the situation I’m in. I am pretty lucky in that sense.” Longstaff arrives in the first-team squad knowing he could soon be loaned out again, with Portsmouth currently fighting for his signature this season. But whatever happens, 40 or so games and nine goals for League One Blackpool last term provided the perfect platform to kick on. He said: “At Blackpool I got my chance. Gary Bowyer was brilliant with me from the first time he rang me up. “He obviously liked me enough to take a chance. “I’d only played 17 games in Scotland, so to give me the opportunity was massive.
“He put his faith in me, so I just tried to run with it and see what I could do.
“They were pleased with me last year so it was a great move.”
United are eager to improve their quota of academy players getting first-team debuts in the next couple of years.
And Longstaff knows that there is only one way to make it to the very top with the Magpies – through hard work.
He said: “That’s the plan. To go out and get games on loan and then come back and see how much you have improved.
“Whether next year I go out on loan, get more experience and be even closer, we’ll see. I spend every day trying to get as close to the level of the first team as possible and show what I have learned.
“You never know what could happen.
“If I end up playing tonight it will be the icing on the cake for the week away.
“I try to show people what I am capable of and see what happens. It will be massive.
“Any kid from Newcastle, that’s what they dream of – to play for the black-and-whites, whether that’s the Premier League or a friendly game.
“It’s about playing for the club you have grown up watching.
“To be able to fulfil that would be amazing.”
I spend every day trying to get as close to the level of the first team as possible and show what I’ve learneded Sean Longstaff