Boss best by a Long way, claims Sean

SEAN Longstaff says he will do “everything” Eddie Howe tells him to do at Newcastle United.

The 24-year-old waxed lyrical about the Magpies’ head coach, saying Howe’s openness has helped him to come out of his own shell.

The 44-year-old inspired a drastic turnaround on Tyneside after arriving last November with the club in a relegation battle.

Newcastle finished a staggering 14 points clear of the bottom three, despite being favourites for the drop at Christmas.

Toon supporters have noticed Howe’s relentless approach on the training ground.

Following his arrival, the team looked fitter, sharper and more cohesive, with midfielder Jonjo Shelvey claiming he was in bed by 8.00 each night due to the intensity of the sessions.

Now, Longstaff has discussed how the Magpies’ boss places equal importance on the mental dynamics of a dressing room.

He said: “We have a fine session and at the end of the fine session a player or a member of the coaching staff has to give a timeline of their life.

“The gaffer did the first one and he went through his whole life, with pictures, and talked about his family and he became emotional talking about it. He loved his dog and he spoke about that.

“I came out of the meeting and I was like ‘wow, how can you not want to play for someone willing to basically strip themselves bare and we have only known each other five or six days?’”

The North Shields native also revealed how Howe helped him regain his confidence.

Despite emerging as the most talented academy product in recent years, Longstaff’s Newcastle career stalled under Steve Bruce and he appeared destined to leave on multiple occasions. He was linked with a reunion with former Magpies boss Rafa Benitez at Everton last year.

An impressive end to the 2021-22 campaign, though, saw the midfielder earn a new threeyear contract and he has continued to impress in pre-season.

Longstaff added: “The boss had been at the club for about a week when he came to me and said he had not realised I was out of contract in the summer and he helped me through that period.

“He is the first manager I have had multiple conversations with on the phone. Everything he says I trust.

“Everything he tells me to do I will do because I believe it is going to make me a better footballer.”