Mark Douglas highlighted Newcastle midfielder Matthew Longstaff as someone who impressed against Preston North End despite the 2-1 loss on Saturday.
The Chronicle journalist revealed how Longstaff was full of energy and had the ability to pick out a pass from the heart of midfield throughout the first-half at Deepdale.
Douglas wrote on his personal Twitter account that there’s a long way to go in the 19-year-old’s career, but the signs are there for him to succeed at St James’ Park.
Really liked Matty Longstaff's 45 minutes there. I know it's pre-season, I know he's got a long way to go but there's definitely something about him too.
Can pick a pass, plenty of energy.
— Mark Douglas (@MsiDouglas) July 27, 2019
The game against the Championship side was Longstaff’s first start for the Magpies, after coming off the bench against West Ham United in the Premier League Asia Trophy.
OPINION
Longstaff will no doubt be hoping to emulate his brother, Sean, in the coming years – with both breaking into the senior set-up at St James’ Park in the space of less than a year. At only 19-years-old, Longstaff clearly has a long road ahead of him to cement a spot alongside his brother and a loan move could be the best idea at this stage of his career. His emergence in pre-season under Bruce could highlight the fact that the youngster is set for a limited role in the senior set-up, with the energy that Douglas picked up on potentially being a strong point off the bench for Newcastle next season. Longstaff has established himself as a mainstay in the academy, featuring heavily in both the Premier League 2 and the under-18’s Premier League. Longstaff made 27 appearances last season, and the introduction to senior football in the EFL Trophy has clearly benefitted his development. Should Longstaff continue to impress, there is every chance he could feature for the first-team this season, with everything surely up in the air at St James’ Park at the moment.
