Football

Newcastle determined to extend contracts with Longstaff brothers


Steve Bruce is determined to sign Matty and Sean Longstaff to improved contracts at Newcastle but has pledged to do everything in his powers to preserve the brothers’ humility.

While 21-year-old Sean attracted Manchester United’s interest last season, his 19-year-old sibling, a central midfielder, scored the winning goal against Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s side as he made his Premier League debut at St James’ Park a fortnight ago.

“How could I leave Matty out at Chelsea?” said Bruce, whose side travel to Stamford Bridge on Saturday. “It was a wonderful debut from the kid – and the one thing we don’t want to do is lose our best young players. So I’m sure we’ll be all out to get that one tied up … And his brother, too, which is vitally important.” While Matty’s deal runs out next summer, Sean is signed up until 2022 but, with admirers circling, the club are anxious to extend that agreement.

The siblings from North Shields are delighted to be playing for the club they have supported since boyhood. “They’ve got a refreshing humility,” Bruce said. “My job now is to protect them and keep that humility and honesty.”

After the 1-0 win against Manchester United, the brothers gave an uplifting television interview. “I was sat in my office on my own having a cup of tea and they were on the telly,” Bruce said. “It was just refreshingly honest and genuine. The humility of the two of them – it was the best interview I’ve witnessed.”

The Newcastle manager’s desire to see more of the same from the pair has prompted him to ask Lee Charnley, the club’s managing director, to push their contract renewals to the top of the agenda.

“I’ve got a meeting with Lee scheduled,” Bruce said. “But he’s talking to a few of the players – the two Longstaffs in particular – and there’s Jonjo Shelvey on the agenda, the goalkeeper and Matt Ritchie. He is talking, we are talking, but these things seem to take forever. It’s not an easy job now.”

Out on the pitch the Longstaffs made playing in central midfield seem straightforward against Manchester United, with Sean finally appearing to have overcome the cruciate ligament injury that brought his campaign to a halt last season.

“I just think Sean needed more time working on his knee,” Bruce said. “Whether it was the introduction of his brother last week I don’t know, but Sean played the best he has played all season too. I think his young kid was giving him a kick up the arse.

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“I’ve been in football a long time and I don’t think I’ve witnessed in a big game, in a big scenario, on a big stage, a better debut, not just the goal, but Matty picked one pass in front of me and hit a 45-yard diagonal on to somebody’s chest after four and a half minutes and I thought, ‘Aye, aye, bloody hell, that’s not too bad’.”



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