Steve Bruce has been told to keep ‘complete player’ Sean Longstaff in the starting line-up for the remainder of the season.
Longstaff has started Newcastle’s last two fixtures and helped them pick up four crucial points in their fight for Premier League survival.
Before coming on as a substitute in the defeat against Brighton prior to the international break, he hadn’t featured for more than two months.
How did Longstaff play against Burnley?
In the 2-1 win against Burnley on Sunday, Longstaff won five of his eight ground duels and created one chance as part of a solid all-round midfield display (via SofaScore).
He was deployed alongside Jonjo Shelvey in the centre of the park, with Miguel Almiron in front of him.
On Sunday’s True Faith NUFC podcast, host Alex Hurst waxed lyrical about the 23-year-old and insisted that ‘he can only get better’ with more minutes.
“Sean Longstaff has to stay in this team until the end of the season,” he said.
“I thought it was hilarious to bring Jeff Hendrick on at the end. It was just like a testimonial.
“Longstaff was really good, and in this formation he’s someone who understands his role a little bit than other players.
“He’s just got to be everywhere, and he is everywhere.
“He’s a complete player and he’s so young still, and he’s played so few games at the top level, he can only get better, even under Bruce.”
Longstaff rakes in the plaudits
Club correspondent Lee Ryder joined the chorus of praise for Longstaff, agreeing that he was ‘everywhere’ and applauding his aggression (via Chronicle Live).
Manager Bruce praised him for his ‘patience’ and said he’d ‘played very, very well’ in the past two matches.
Newcastle will be without Isaac Hayden until the end of the season, but in Longstaff, his younger brother Matty, Arsenal loanee Joe Willock and 18-year-old Elliot Anderson, they have a talented group of central midfielders who can make an impact during the run-in if given the opportunity.