'Not true!': Steve Bruce responds to Matty Longstaff claims at Newcastle United

Longstaff, out of contract at the end of the season, has been offered a new long-term deal by Newcastle United.

Talks, however, are deadlocked, and the 20-year-old midfielder – who broke into Steve Bruce’s first-team squad last summer after impressing in the Premier League Asia Trophy – hasn’t started a Premier League game since January.

Bruce, without Longstaff’s elder brother Sean and Isaac Hayden, has been fielding defender Fabian Schar in midfield, and United’s head coach again explained that decision ahead of tomorrow evening’s Premier League home game against Tottenham Hotspur.

Asked if Longstaff could play again this season, Bruce said: “He could do, but, take the contract aside, I’ve played Schar because of his physicality. That’s why I’ve played Fab in there. He’s played in that position for his country, who are eighth in the world.

"This debate that I’m not putting Matty in the team simply because of his contract, it’s not true. We’d all like Matty to stay and get things resolved, but the ball’s in his court.

"But I’m certainly not picking a team with that in mind.

“I gave the kid his debut. He’s had a thigh injury, unfortunately, when he came back from lockdown, which was a pretty severe one.

"I’ve treated him the way it should be. We’ve made him a huge offer, it’s up to the boy to commit himself. I’m not not picking him because he hasn’t signed a contract. We think a lot of Matty.”