Ex-Newcastle United midfielder set for surprise MLS transfer following 14-month injury layoff

Former Newcastle United midfielder Matty Longstaff is set to sign for MLS side Toronto FC after recovering from a serious knee-injury. Longstaff hasn’t played a competitive game of football since suffering a knee-injury whilst on-loan at Colchester United in late 2022.

He then returned to the north east to rehab and recover from this setback before being released by Newcastle United last summer. According to Craig Hope, the 23-year-old is on the verge of moving to Canada to sign for Eastern Conference side Toronto FC as he Longstaff looks to reignite his football career.

The midfielder burst onto the scene under Steve Bruce in 2019 and scored a memorable winner against Manchester United on his Premier League debut for the club. He would repeat these goalscoring antics against the Red Devils on Boxing Day that year, but struggled to nail down a regular starting spot at the club - making just 20 senior appearances in all competitions.

Loan moves to Aberdeen, Mansfield Town and then Colchester United followed before he suffered his latest injury back on Boxing Day in 2022. Reacting to his departure in summer, his elder brother Sean described it as a ‘sad’ day but backed Matty to bounce back from the setback: “It’s obviously quite sad, really," Longstaff told BBC Radio Newcastle. "When the news broke, it was sad, but it’s football, and he’ll eventually get where he’s going to be.

"He’s a top, top player, and people saw that when he did play. We’ve played football together in the same team pretty much since we were nine years old, so we’ve had a pretty god run at it. I still speak to him all the time, and he’ll be supporting me, and I’ll be supporting him.

"The club have been great with him. They’ve done everything they can. They’re going to get him back fully fit, so he can go out and kick on again. I’m really grateful for that, and I know he is as well. It’s something that was going to happen eventually.”

Longstaff’s prospective new club, Toronto FC, finished rock bottom of the Eastern Conference table last season and drew 0-0 with Cincinnati in their opening game of the 2024 season at the weekend.