OPINION
Many Newcastle United fans will be thrilled by how Sean Longstaff responded to there reportedly being interest in his services, as he insisted he was focused on the Magpies.
There are always two sides of the coin when a promising young player makes his full first-team breakthrough at a club.
On one side is the positivity, a player breaking through the academy and showing he can bring a new dimension to the senior squad is one that shows just how good the club’s academy system is.
On the other side, there is the sense of nervousness, that if this starlet keeps performing on top of his game, it won’t be long until a top side comes sniffing for their signature.
Longstaff broke on to the scene under Rafael Benitez in January, and quickly became a mainstay in Newcastle’s midfield, keeping players such as Jonjo Shelvey on the bench.
In his nine Premier League appearances, he scored one and assisted one goal, quickly becoming a fan favourite at St James’ Park.
The 21-year-old quickly grabbed the attention of Manchester United, with The Times claiming the Red Devils were planning a summer move for the youngster.
Speaking to NUFCTV, Longstaff was quick to shut down those rumours despite being flattered by the attention.
The academy graduate said: “It just shows how far I’ve come. If someone told us at the start of the season that by the end of it you’d be linked with these teams I’d have laughed at them but it’s nice, it’s flattering.
“I’m massively flattered to have my name even mentioned in those conversations but like I said, I’m 100% focused on Newcastle and trying to get fit and get back in the team here.”
The Magpies’ fans will love this response from one of their own and will no doubt be rubbing their hands in excitement thinking of Longstaff being in their midfield for many years to come, hopefully under Benitez.
A knee injury suffered against West Ham at the beginning of March kept Longstaff out for the rest of the season, however his comments on his future imply he’ll be sticking around to rack up more Magpies appearances next season.