Desperate for more memorable debut
‘IT’S A START REALLY, AND THAT’S ALL - NOW I HAVE TO KEEP MY HEAD DOWN AND KEEP WORKING HARD’
crowd and my mate who drives all over with my mam, dad and brother. They waited for the opportunity too.
“There was a Boxing Day party at my Nana’s house so they were waiting for news. It was great for me.
“But coaches like Liam Bramley and Ben Dawson have helped me and if not for them, I might not be in the position I am in.”
Before the game United’s younger players were taken aback by the Anfield anthem You’ll Never Walk Alone on a day Benitez had specifically earmarked as a possible first league appearance for Longstaff.
The Geordie midfielder said: “Freddie Woodman said ‘let’s go out now.’
“I didn’t know what he meant but he said you don’t want to miss the You’ll Never Walk Alone song at the start.
“But the atmosphere throughout the whole game from both sets of fans in a Liverpool vs Newcastle game was something else.
“It is something I can be proud of. One day I can look back at my debut again. If it isn’t going to be at St James’ Park, you want it to be one of the top ones. “Obviously, I was fortunate to get that opportunity, even if the scoreline was unfortunate.” Longstaff almost marked his first Premier League game with a goal too after the ball dropped to him just outside the box.
He said: “Your eyes light up at that moment.
“I thought I’d done enough to create a yard but in the Premier League you get a second to take a chance.
“They paid a lot of money for their goalkeeper and he made a good save.
“A l i s s o n gave me a little smile at the end of the game. “That would have been icing on the cake for me personally but would not have glossed over the scoreline from a team point of view.”
Hopefully there will be a few more opportunities. I need to work hard and wait for the chances to come up