OPINION
Sean Longstaff has been a revelation in the heart f the Newcastle United midfield since being thrust into the first team limelight a few weeks ago, and his performances have more than justified a call up to the England national team setup.
According to the Chronicle, the 21-year-old is being eyed up as a potential option for Aidy Boothroyd’s U21 side, and could be given a cap when the Young Lions face Poland next month.
National team recognition would be wholly deserved for the young Geordie, and could be the first step on a hugely successful career path.
It’s easy to get carried away and over-hype emerging English talent, but everything Longstaff has shown so far would suggest that he is fully cabal of playing a big role for the U21s, and could even be an option for Gareth Southgate’s senior side in the near future.
The academy graduate has played with a level of maturity and poise far beyond his years in recent weeks, and has done a wonderful job of bringing some much needed quality to the Magpies’ engine room.
Longstaff is economical in possession, but also expansive in his passing, and his naturally imposing physical attributes would make him an ideal option for the forward thinking philosophies of the England setup.
England have struggled to produce a genuine top class defensive midfielder in recent years, and although it may be wishful thinking, if he can continue to progress at the rate that he is, and if he can prove himself when Boothroyd comes calling, there’s no reason why Longstaff can’t throw his hat in the ring.