One of our own
The rise and rise of Sean Longstaff, by the people who helped him on the way up:
HE’S played fewer games than Michael Carrick has won major trophies, but already the comparisons are dominating headlines.
Sean Longstaff, relatively unknown to most other than the die-hard supporters until his breakthrough on Boxing Day, is one of the most exciting talents to come out of Newcastle United’s academy in recent years.
His Geordie roots – and his ability to make the game look simple – have seen him dubbed “the new Carrick” by pundits and former professionals.
His stunning progress has been halted by a knee injury that will probably keep him out for the rest of this season. But United boss Rafa Benitez has no doubts he will come back stronger.
“Talking with him he’s fine mentally. He’s strong,” said Rafa a few days ago. “He said: ‘Now I have to start working.’ He has taken it really well with his approach.”
That gritty reaction will have come as no surprise to Newcastle’s Under23 manager Ben Dawson.
Ben, 38, has witnessed Sean’s development for the best part of a decade – but also knows a thing or two about Manchester United legend an ice hockey-playing dad and a Carrick, the keen netballer for a mum, Sean had most decorated sport in his blood from the off. footballer to come out of His style on the pitch may be in Tyneside. part down to a childhood spent virtually He said: “Michael was in on the ice rink in Sweden, my year group and used to where his father David played for play in the same county team one of the top sides in Stockholm. for North Tyneside up until David has over 100 caps for GB we were 14. I was at Cramlington and is the current player-coach for Juniors and he was at Whitley Warriors. Sean also has his Wallsend Boys Club. uncle Alan Thompson – a former “If you look at the career NUFC footballer and England international Michael’s had, I think it’s a – to call on for advice. little bit early to be drawing And Ben believes a lot of Sean’s the comparison... success is down to his upbringing at “Some of the similarities home and education at John Spence are obvious; you can see Community High School in North some of those trends and Shields. strengths they’ve both “He’s humble, driven and confident got. – and that comes from home “But for me they’re and school; that’s where he spent completely different most of his time,” said Ben, speaking players. One of Sean’s to The Chronicle in a city centre big strengths is how cafe. powerful he is and his “We reinforce those things at the ability to get forward.” academy, but if they haven’t got the Born in Newcastle levels of expectations we have then in October 1997 to it’s difficult.”
Sean, now 21, joined North Shields Juniors when he returned to Tyneside aged five.
But when he became part of the Magpies’ development squad it took a while to make his mark.
But it didn’t take long for Sean to turn into a prodigy.
“Once the kids know they can do something well, that’s when their confidence starts to grow. Sean got to the point where he knew he was good at things and that’s when his confidence grew,” said Ben.
“The most pleasing thing for me is that when I see and speak to him now he’s exactly the same as when he was with us when he was younger, even after all of this. He remembers where he comes from and the sacrifices he and his family have had to make.”
For Ben, Sean’s drive and determination are his most valuable assets – even if his playing style combines the elegance of a Rolls Royce with the engine of a Mustang.
He said: “Being involved in sport takes those values home. His dad
played at the highest level and by all accounts his mum [Michelle] is a really competitive netball player.
“His younger brother Matty is part of the under-23s at Newcastle. They’ve got those skills straight away – you can see those values have been instilled in them from an early age.”
Loan moves away from Tyneside followed, with Sean first joining Kilmarnock and then Blackpool.
It was there that Sean feared he became a victim of his own success.
“Earlier this season he was frustrated he wasn’t going out on loan,” said Ben. “I said he has to be ready, get his head in the right place and an opportunity will come. We had the conversation over the summer about sending him out, Rafa needed some cover in certain positions preseason. We had a discussion about who would go [with the first team] and Sean was one of them... Had he gone out on loan he would have got more experience of playing in League One or the Championship, but if he came back in January would he have been ready to step straight in to our set-up?”
Sean’s opportunity did come on December 26, when injuries to firstteam regulars saw him take his place on the bench at Liverpool.
As his dad watched on from the stands, the boyhood fan made his Premier League debut in the bruising 4-0 defeat.
But rather than crumble, the midfielder has gone from strength to strength.
Ben said: “Sean has had to take a lot of things on himself and do a lot of the right things to get in this position. There is an element of planning but also luck, like Rafa mentioned. You have to be ready. You can’t chuck him in and watch him sink. We feel we’ve got him in a position where he’s ready and a lot of that is down to him.”
And as Newcastle fans celebrate the emergence of “one of our own”, they hope Sean continues his meteoric rise – despite his recent injury setback.