Magpies goalkeeper Rob Elliot has urged fans not to get too carried away with Toon teen sensation Matty Longstaff, with the Irish international saying that the club “still need to look after him.”
Longstaff has gained a lot of admiration following his superb debut performance against Manchester United, a game in which he sealed the 3 points with a 72nd-minute bullet from range at the Gallowgate End.
That said, Elliot reminds fans just how young the Norths Shields lad is (19), and that too much pressure can be detrimental to his career.
Here’s the 33-year-old keeper had to say about Matty’s rise to fame at St James’ Park, also praising his work rate and level headedness behind the scenes:
“It’s given the club a massive lift in the fact that we had a tough result [against Leicester] but it just showed there is lots of optimism coming through and we’ve got a new star on the rise.
“I would just say, don’t expect him to do that every week. He’s a young kid and we still have to look after him.
“It’s not to say he’s going to play every game until the end of the season, obviously I’m not involved in that process but we just need to make sure that we understand he’s still a young lad at 19.
“What he did was absolutely amazing and hopefully he goes on to keep replicating that.
“But his development isn’t just next weekend, it’s over the next three, four years.
“He might be playing, not playing, playing different roles and he’s going to have up and down days – the same with Sean, so we just have to be patient.
“The good thing is there are kids coming through with the potential to achieve whatever they want to achieve.”
“It is [a big moment] but to be honest, they’re not the type of kids that need that [to be told to keep grounded],” he added.
“They’re great and they have been very grounded.
“Obviously they’re measured with their dad and he’s helped with his background of the ice hockey, and they’re just great lads.
“They deserve everything they’ve had and it’s all through hard work and you couldn’t meet two nicer lads.
“I’m buzzing for Matty, absolutely buzzing for him – it was just one of those moments that I think we’ll look back and be like we were there when it happened.
“To score on your debut against Man United at home in front of your family and your friends in front of the Gallowgate – it’s just what dreams are made of.
“We’ve been talking about debuts and stuff like that and I was just thinking back to mine; it wasn’t quite scoring against Man United but it’s just a dream come true.
“Matty works his socks off. He’s honest, he is a great lad.
“Obviously him playing with Sean in midfield, Sean was ridiculous in the game as well but Matty nicked the headlines with the goal – you just couldn’t write it.”
Football fans can be extremely fickle at times and get carried away in the drama and excitement of a debut like Matty’s, just like how they can overreact and be overly critical of a player after one bad game.
The point Elliot makes is valid – you can’t logically disagree with anything that he is saying in that quote. Matty and Sean both look like solid players with a future at Newcastle United, but it is crazy to think we are pinning our midfield hopes on 19 and 21-year-old local lads who have 16 Premier League games between them.
That being said, Bruce MUST start the duo together against Chelsea. The energy and commitment that they both bring are unrivalled by anyone else who plays central midfield for our club. In another game where Newcastle are likely to have less of the ball, the two seem like no-brainers to be starting in midfield. Another winner from either of the boys at the weekend and then maybe we can start getting a little bit carried away!
Let’s hope for another big scalp on Saturday – Howay The Lads!
I would play him for sure, he could not be any worse than what played before him..
BillyTheFish(Quote)