Former Newcastle United midfielder has made an instant impact at his new club Toronto FC, setting up a stunning late winner for the MLS side.
Longstaff had been without a club since being released by the Magpies in June 2023 due to his extended recovery from a nasty ACL injury.
But the North Shields raised 23-year-old is back playing football. He follows in the footsteps of Newcastle legend Peter Beardsley, who had a stint in Canada with Vancouver Whitecaps in 1983.
Longstaff came on as a second half substitute in Toronto’s game against Charlotte FC and hit the ground running by assisting a stunning goal by former Napoli attacker Lorenzo Insigne. Watch the incredible strike here below:
That is some goal to win the game from Lorenzo Insigne! 😮💨
Toronto make it two wins from their first three MLS games. This goal was also assisted by a certain Matty Longstaff.pic.twitter.com/U85BySr38p
— The European Football Express (@TheEuroFE) March 11, 2024
The former England U20s star is no stranger to a memorable debut, famously scoring the winning goal against Manchester United on his debut for the Magpies.
Time will tell if Longstaff’s time in the MLS is just a stop gap or if he can make the league his own but he has certainly made his presence known thanks to his debut.
