Name: Matthew Longstaff
Club: Newcastle United
Date of Birth: 21 March 2000
Position: Midfielder (Defensive/Central)
Matthew Longstaff – his career so far
Matthew Ben Longstaff is the younger of the two Longstaff brothers currently playing their football at Newcastle United in the Premier League. The 20-year-old midfielder has been a life-long supporter of the Magpies and has also joined the club’s ranks from an early age, advancing through their academy and forcing his way into Steve Bruce’s senior team still only recently.
Born in Rotherham and raised in North Shields, he was always an avid fan of the team and it didn’t take long for him to join the Toon Army himself. But interestingly enough, the Longstaff brothers are the sons of David Longstaff, a former Great Britan ice hockey player who was capped over 100 times for the national team before retiring in 2013.
Even though the younger Longstaff brother is still adjusting to life under Bruce within Newcastle’s senior team, his rise has been quite impressive and his stay in the development squads of the Magpies equally successful.
The young 20-year-old midfielder played a key role in all the youth ranks prior to his big step-up in 2019/20. Longstaff managed to play a total of 42 games for Newcastle’s U18 squad, scoring five goals and assisting five more on the side in the process as well.
His stint in the older group, with the U23s, was also more than just decent as the youngster recorded 31 appearances, bagging one goal and assisting further six under his belt too. But some of the most important moments of his career started happening only recently.
He was given his first-team bow in August 2019 when he featured in a clash against Leicester City in the Carabao Cup, playing the full 90 minutes before getting eliminated on penalties. Longstaff made quite a memorable Premier League debut when he scored the winner at St. James’ Park against Manchester United on October 6th, 2019.
Since then, he could muster a total of 12 appearances for the seniors, netting three times in the process as well. But the journey has only begun for the youngster and the future definitely seems rather bright.
Transfer latest
It has been quite busy in Newcastle’s camp when it comes to transfer rumours and transfer news concerning Longstaff. According to some recent reports, the likes of Everton and West Ham have been touted as admirers but there are a plethora of European clubs also wanting a piece of the pie.
The same report states Borussia Dortmund, Ajax, Inter Milan and some other teams would also be interested in acquiring his services. And considering his contract is due to expire in the following summer, the Magpies will have to act quickly unless they want to lose him completely for free.
Luckily for them, the extension does seem to be on the table but it will depend on the potential takeover of the club in the immediate future. We’re still waiting for some palpable Newcastle United news on that front but it does seem like it’s edging ever closer.
In that scenario, they would also be able to keep one of their greatest young assets at the club as well.
Player profile
The younger Longstaff brother seems to be quite a secure and skilled passer of the ball who likes to switch play and even advance it through diagonal channels, pushing it forward and putting his teammates into favourable positions.
Even though Newcastle as a team don’t really enjoy the possession-heavy style, the midfielder seems able to dictate the tempo and even threaten the opposition in the final third by deploying passes behind the defensive line.
Off the ball, he likes to sit deeper and hold his position but will often engage his counterpart in a duel when the opposition starts advancing through the pitch. At times, he can make a rash decision but considering he’s only 20 years of age, that aspect will most certainly improve in time.
While there are certain weaknesses in his current player profile, the talent and the potential are certainly there for everyone to see. It will be up to Newcastle United to make sure he stays and keeps developing at the club of his youth.