'I want' - Newcastle United set to trigger deal with midfielder who has a strong message
Newcastle United midfielder Sean Longstaff says he wants to feel “valued” and “appreciated” amid talk of a new contract.
The Geordie midfielder’s current deal is due to expire at the end of the campaign but there is an option of a further year. Longstaff stated he is “not sure” whether the Magpies intend to trigger it but the expectation is the club will.
Asked about his future, Longstaff - who is closing in on 200 appearance for his boyhood club - said: “If it’s here it’s great. If it’s not, it’s not.
“I want to be valued as a player, I want to be appreciated as a player and whether it’s here great. If it’s not here and it’s somewhere else, it’ll be somewhere else.
“In a way I live day to day, game to game and I just try and take in every game. I get to go to work every day and spend it with my best friends, I don’t know what’s coming ahead, I don’t know what’s coming down the line, I just try to embrace every day and enjoy every minute because ultimately it won’t last forever.”
No one could mistake Longstaff for feeling undervalued. He has faced regular, and largely unfair, criticism from sections of the fanbase in 2024. And soon as Sandro Tonali returned from his 10 month ban, many were calling for 27-year-old to make way.
However, Longstaff showed his worth last week with his return to the starting XI coinciding with wins over Chelsea and Arsenal. In the seven games the North Shields born midfielder has started this season, the Magpies haven’t lost.
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“I think it was [NFL quarterback] Aaron Rodgers who said a great quote that he would never take criticism from someone he wouldn’t go to advice for,” Longstaff said. “I live my life by that.
“Ultimately a lot of people don’t recognise how we play, what the patterns are, what my role in the team is.
“I don’t flick the ball over someone’s head like Bruno [Guimaraes] does, that’s what catches the eye but there’s lots of ways to win a football match. My job is to make them flourish as best as they can and get in the box and score goals when I can.
“Me and the manager have always had a great relationship. To be fair to him he’s never really listened to what other people think in the past. He’s always played me and I think there’s a reason for that.
“I think you’re not stupid, week after week and you [the media] are the people asking why he’s picking me and stuff. There’s stuff I’d love to say to you but I can’t.
“All I can do is play football and my value will ultimately be shown on the football pitch. Whether it’s when I’m playing or not playing eventually if I keep doing the right things then one day everyone will see that and it might be when I’m not here anymore. If that’s the case that’s the case. I love the manager to bits; I can only thank him for helping my career.”