Sean Longstaff hailed Sandro Tonali in yesterday’s press conference at St James’ Park, also discussing how much he’s loving life on Tyneside and the prospect of an England call-up.
Despite claims that Tonali had been unhappy when signing for the Magpies, Longstaff revealed that the squad found those rumours ‘weird.’ He insists the Italian is ‘always so happy’ and praised his character, calling him ‘top player’ and even better guy who has fitted into the group ‘amazingly well.’
Longstaff admitted that both he and brother Matty were often in awe of Tonali’s performances for AC Milan, and subsequently feared for his position in the team upon his arrival. However, the North Shields-born midfielder claimed that the pair have now formed a ‘close friendship’ and he feels it is a ‘privilege’ to be able to work with him.
The academy graduate has been a key part of our nine-game unbeaten run, sparking conversations about whether he should be considered for an England call-up. But the 25-year-old says he’s ‘not aware of the talk’ and really only wants to focus on Newcastle and ‘playing as well as I can’ in a black and white shirt.
Longstaff on Tonali – “The way the fans were with him on Saturday was amazing, but I think everyone knew that would be the case. The way Sandro has fitted in our group has been amazing. He’s a top player first and foremost, but he’s actually a better guy.
“The stuff going around and people saying, “Was he happy about being here?”. That sort of stuff was weird to us within the group because we see him every day and how happy he is and laughing and joking with everyone – he’s always so happy!
“We are just lucky that we have signed a top player, someone in my position who I used to watch a lot actually. Me and my brother (Matty) used to speak about how good he was and then suddenly he walked through the door at Newcastle and you think, “Oooof! I don’t know if that’s a good thing for me or not?”.
“I get on really well with him and it’s the same for the whole group. He’s been a massive positive for our group. We have created a friendship and it’s a privilege to be around him every day and watch what he does and watch how he works. You can understand why he’s so good.”
Longstaff on England talk – “I’ve not spoken to my dad or brother about it! So I’m really not aware of the talk!
“I look at that England group and see top level players who have been there for a long time. I work next to Trippier and he’s the pinnacle of our team. It’s not really something I think about. It’s just focusing on Newcastle and playing as well as I can here.”
