Former Newcastle United man Mick Quinn has expressed his admiration for Magpies midfielder Sean Longstaff and the job he has done of late.
The 21-year-old has been a revelation for Rafael Benitez’s side over the past month or so, and Quinn has been as impressed with him as anyone in a black and white shirt this season.
“I can’t believe how good of a temperament he has,” he wrote in his column for The Chronicle. “His composure is fantastic, his retention of the ball is second to none and he has looked like he has been in the team all season. That is the sign of a top quality player.
“When a youngster comes in and does well it just freshens everything up and I have got to take my hat off to the kid. He has been outstanding. Playing for your hometown club after being brought through the academy system is a massive deal but Longstaff has taken to the Premier League like a duck to water.”
OPINION
There’s no arguing with anything Quinn says, here. Longstaff has been absolutely top drawer since coming into the Newcastle team around the turn of the year, shoring up the midfield and helping Benitez through a selection crisis in that area of the pitch. He has gone from about fifth choice in his position to arguably being undroppable for the Spaniard at present, and that’s testament to his fantastic performances in recent times. As Quinn says, it’s a big thing to come through and play for your local club, but he hasn’t looked flustered at all. He just plays his natural game and doesn’t let anything ruffle his feathers. He’s played against some huge teams in the past month and has performed well against every one of them. He’s a credit to the academy on Tyneside and to Benitez and his staff. Hopefully he continues to play well in a Magpies shirt for many years to come.