Football

‘It’s flattering, but my job is at Newcastle United’ midfielder distances himself from Manchester United move

The 21-year-old broke into Newcastle’s first team last season.

Newcastle midfielder Sean Longstaff has admitted he is flattered to have been linked with a big money move to Manchester United.

The 21-year-old home-grown talent burst on to the first-team scene at St James’ Park under Rafael Benitez last season before a knee injury ended his breakthrough campaign prematurely.

Despite having just eight Premier League starts to his name, Longstaff has been identified as a target by United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, although the Red Devils’ £25million valuation of the player is nowhere near that of the Magpies.

Nevertheless, he is simply concentrating on the task of getting himself fit again on the club’s pre-season training trip to China, with new head coach Steve Bruce now in charge.

Longstaff told the Chronicle: “If somebody had said to be me a year ago I would be in this position, I would probably have laughed at them.

“This time last year, I was deciding whether to go to League One on loan. A year on, you are seeing your name linked with one of the biggest clubs in the world.

“For me, it is all a positive really. It gives you even more confidence. When I was in for a short amount of time, people took notice of me.

“It is flattering, but my job is at Newcastle. The new boss is coming in and it’s a clean slate for everybody – including me.

“I just get my head down and work on the pitch. Like anybody knows, you are no use to anybody if you aren’t fit.”

https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/sport/football/i-know-in-some-peoples-eyes-im-not-rafa-newcastle-united-boss-bruce-vows-to-win-over-doubters/18/07/
Joe Mellor

Head of Content

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