Former Premier League winner Chris Sutton has heaped praise on Newcastle United youngster Sean Longstaff and believes the Magpies will really miss him.
The 21-year-old made a huge impact on Tyneside after coming into the team around the turn of the year, but his progress was ended recently by injury. Sutton has been hugely impressed with the local Newcastle lad.
“I’ll tell you who will be a miss for Newcastle: Longstaff, who got his opportunity in the team earlier in the season and he’s been outstanding,” he told BBC Radio 5 Live [01/04; 20:07].
“[Mohamed] Diame back in now this evening. He’s been a really good find, Longstaff, for Newcastle,” he finished.
OPINION
Everything that Sutton says is spot on, here. Longstaff has been tremendous ever since he came into the team and has proved to be the player that everyone in the Newcastle academy hoped he’d be. He exceeded all expectations and was undoubtedly the Magpies’ best player before picking up that ill-timed injury. As Sutton says, Newcastle are and have missed him greatly. They have nobody else quite like him, and that was in evidence against Arsenal on Monday when Rafael Benitez opted for two workhorses in the middle of the park in Isaac Hayden and Diame. Longstaff is the future in central midfield for Newcastle and everyone who has watched him this season realises that, and so it’s a real shame that he’s sidelined at the moment. The youngster, as Sutton says, has been a terrific find for the Magpies and may end up saving them millions of pounds that they would otherwise have spent on another central midfielder.
