Former Newcastle United striker Mick Quinn has singled out midfielder Sean Longstaff for praise despite their 2-1 defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
Pedro initially put the hosts ahead after just nine minutes, but the Magpies managed to hit back five minutes before half-time courtesy of a powerful header from Ciaran Clark – however, Willian eventually put the visitors to the sword with his strike in the 57th-minute.
Despite the fact that Longstaff – who has previously made two appearances in the Premier League prior to this match – did not get on the scoresheet, Quinn could not help but pinpoint the 21-year-old for how he coped against the Blues.
He said on his personal Twitter account: “The kid Longstaff has done well.”
The kid Longstaff has done well @NUFC
— Mick Quinn (@mickquinn1089) January 12, 2019
OPINION
Longstaff had to step into the midfield in the absence of Jonjo Shelvey and Ki Sung-Yueng, and if Quinn’s verdict is anything to go by, it is not hard to deduce that he stepped up rather well. Yes, he had previously made two top-flight appearances as well one FA Cup and one Carabao Cup outing, but filling in for the first team regulars against a team like Chelsea was basically like being thrown in the deep end. Nevertheless, he coped with the task brilliantly, even if the result did not end up going their way. His display would have no doubt given boss Rafa Benitez some food for thought – i.e a bigger selection headache in terms of the midfield – so we may see Longstaff putting in more of an appearance in the future. He has certainly shown he has the ability to get on well at Newcastle, so it is no wonder Quinn has singled him out for praise.