Matty Longstaff reflects on his extraordinary breakthrough at Newcastle United
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The teenage midfielder hopes to make his fourth successive Premier League start on Saturday, when Steve Bruce’s 17th-placed side take on West Ham United in the Premier League.
Up to now, Longstaff has had his elder brother Sean by his side in midfield.
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Hide AdHowever, the 22-year-old, sent off in the 1-1 draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers at St James’s Park last weekend, will serve the first game of a three-match ban at the London Stadium.
Bruce, United's head coach, has Isaac Hayden back from suspension, while Jonjo Shelvey and Ki Sung-yueng are also available.
“Obviously, playing with Sean makes things a lot easier given how good he is on the ball,” said Longstaff.
“He probably gets you out of trouble a bit. Obviously, not playing with him, if I do play, would be a bit tough, but we’ve got other good players who could come in. We’ve got good players there, so we’ll just wait and see.”
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Hide AdLongstaff was handed his debut against Manchester United after Bruce lost Hayden, who was sent off in last month’s 5-0 defeat to Leicester City at the King Power Stadium.
The 19-year-old scored against Ole Gunnar Solksjaer’s side at St James’s Park – and started against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge the following weekend.
It's been a steep, but enjoyable, learning curve for a player who had expected to be sent out on loan an EFL club this season.
Longstaff said: “It’s tough, but it’s where you want to be at the end of the day.
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Hide Ad“I think, whenever you get a chance, you’ve got to take it. I don’t think it really matters if you’re 19 years old or 20-odd years old when you get a chance. You’ve got to try and take it, and I think you have to keep on doing well to stay in the team. The biggest thing for me is trying to carry on doing well.
“I know I’m young, but I feel I can play at this level. I think I need to try and perform to show that. If I keep doing well, I might stay in the team. That’s the biggest thing.”