The revealing story behind Matty Longstaff's loan move from Newcastle United to Mansfield

After all, this is a young midfielder who had burst onto the scene at Newcastle United in the Premier League just over two years prior with a stunning debut goal in a 1-0 win against Manchester United at St James’s Park.

Longstaff also scored in the reverse fixture against The Red Devils at Old Trafford and against Rochdale in the FA Cup as he went on to make 15 appearances in his first season of senior football with the Magpies. This prompted the club to reward the youngster with a lucrative two-year contract.

But since then, Longstaff’s Newcastle career has somewhat stagnated as he was limited to just five Premier League appearances last season.

He still agreed a one year contract extension last summer prior to an unsuccessful loan spell at Aberdeen during the first half of the 2021-22 campaign.

Longstaff made to five Scottish Premiership appearances for Aberdeen, a move he described as ‘an eye opener’, before being recalled by Newcastle in the winter with a view to being loaned out elsewhere.

Wherever Longstaff went, he needed to be guaranteed regular game time. He’s 22-years-old and had made less than 20 senior league appearances prior to joining Mansfield.

But the loan in itself is a double edged sword. Longstaff’s Newcastle career is already hanging in the balance and a failure to make a loan move to the fourth tier work at 22 would effectively erase any hopes of a first team return in the Premier League.

And make it work he has, so far at least. In seven League Two appearances for Mansfield, Longstaff has scored three goals and grabbed an assist from midfield.

We contacted John Lomas, sports editor at the Shields Gazette’s sister title the Mansfield Chad, for a greater insight into Longstaff’s loan move and the impact he has made at the One Call Stadium.

How did Longstaff’s loan to Mansfield come about?

“Longstaff's arrival at Mansfield Town was as much a surprise to the manager, Nigel Clough, as it was the supporters,” Lomas said.

“No one thought a young player of his Premier League pedigree would be willing to drop down as low as League Two, but it speaks volumes for the lad's ambitions to play regularly and learn rather than sit on a fat pay packet on the bench.”

While arguments could be made that Longstaff is more than capable of playing regularly in League One or even the Championship, a chance encounter between his agent Kenneth Shepherd and Mansfield CEO David Sharpe saw him secure a surprise switch to The Stags until the end of the season.

“The move came about through Stags CEO David Sharpe knowing Matty's agent and the two men coincidentally being in the same Barbados hotel proposing to their partners at the same time,” Lomas added.

“Sharpe sent over a bottle of champagne and five weeks later received Longstaff!

“The player had been due to go elsewhere on loan but that had fallen through late on and Stags were more than willing to take him.”

How has Longstaff settled into his new surroundings?

Having got a taste of Premier League action as a teenager, dropping down to League Two just a couple of years later will be humbling experience for Longstaff.

But he seems to have embraced the change in scenery and is reaping the rewards as a result.

“The fear with deals like this is that you are bringing in a 'big time Charlie' who could upset the dressing room,” Lomas continued. “But Longstaff has been nothing of the sort and has fitted in perfectly and been welcomed by all the squad.

“It helps him massively that Clough likes his sides to play patient, build-up, possession football. He also walked into a side that was winning and competing at the right end of the table.

“Longstaff has had to deal with the pace and physicality of some of their opponents and has eased himself into it gradually.

“He sat out his first game on the bench as a spectator before being drafted in to start at Bristol Rovers on 12th February, where he made little major impact in a 0-0 draw.

“Pushed into a more offensive role at Newport he began to assert himself more. Nothing fancy, no Hollywood passing, just making himself available and moving the ball around quickly.

“Longstaff then found the net in three successive games at Bradford and Tranmere, sandwiching a home return with Exeter, as Stags continued to push for automatic promotion. The fans were loving him by now.”

What does the future hold?

Longstaff remained on the bench for Mansfield in Tuesday night's 2-2 draw at Hartlepool United.

Although they sit eighth in the League Two table, they are just three points off the automatic promotion places with two games in hand.

And Longstaff is expected to return to the side for a crucial double header against third placed Northampton Town on Saturday and a trip to league leaders Forest Green Rovers the following Tuesday.

“Longstaff took quite a hefty whack at Rochdale in midweek and, nursing the bruises, was an unused sub at Hartlepool on Tuesday night, saving him for two big six-pointers in the next few days that could decide their season.

“With only nine games to go, when fit, it is likely he will keep hold of his shirt to the end of the campaign now and could find himself with a promotion to his name in five weeks time which would more than justify his decision to play at this level.”

Longstaff will return to Tyneside at the end of the 2021-22 season still with a year left on his contract.

It’s unclear what his future holds, but his impact at Mansfield will certainly provide Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe with some food for thought.

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