Newcastle United midfielder Sean Longstaff has been tipped to make a senior breakthrough sooner rather than later by former Magpies Steven Taylor.
The 21-year-old central midfielder has just one first team appearance for his home town club, having come through the youth system on Tyneside, which came in the League Cup defeat to Nottingham Forest earlier this season.
With senior experience at Blackpool and Kilmarnock under his belt, former Newcastle defender Taylor, who was another to make the step up from the youth side to the first team, has tipped his experience of training with the Magpies’ stars to help him break through.
He told Tribal Football: “He had a great season with Blackpool and it shows in the way he plays. He’s got an eye for goal and he scored a couple of screamers last season.
“He’s training and playing with quality players, he’s getting some great experience and he shows his class. Hopefully he keeps it up and he’ll break into the squad soon.
Opinion
It has been a while since a Newcastle player broke into the senior side from the youth team, and even longer since they have stuck around to make a real impact. The likes of Adam Armstrong and Sammy Ameobi have come and gone in recent years and you have to stretch back to Paul Dummett’s breakthrough for anyone of real note, the Welsh international still a first team regular under manager Rafael Benitez. Can Longstaff be the next one to make the grade? He is obviously highly thought of by the Magpies, having stuck around this season instead of being shipped out on loan and a number of first team unused substitute appearances suggests he is not far off from carrying out Taylor’s prediction. However, with Jonjo Shelvey, Mohamed Diame and Ki Seung-yung among others ahead of him in the pecking order, the only way he will get much game time is due to injury or suspension. He might have to wait a little longer yet if he wants to make it at St James’ Park.