Newcastle recorded an emphatic 3-0 win over Cardiff this weekend, and youngster Sean Longstaff once again impressed Newcastle supporters.
The academy graduate has been a key player for the Newcastle first team in recent weeks, due to injuries to Mo Diame and Jonjo Shelvey.
Longstaff was playing just his third Premier League game against Cardiff and once again showed remarkable promise.
For someone of such a tender age, Longstaff refreshingly seems to play without fear.
He’s shown in his few games this season that he is always looking to move the ball forward from deep and make things happen.
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Although he doesn’t look like a world-beater just yet, he’s performed capably in Newcastle’s first team.
The performance against Cardiff came off the back of another strong showing against Blackburn in an FA Cup replay on Tuesday.
The 21-year old scored his first Newcastle goal with a deflected strike, and hopefully he can get on the scoresheet again this season.
His style of play has led many supporters to compare him with North-East native Michael Carrick.
Longstaff has a long way to go to reach the former Man United man’s heights, but fans still can’t get over their similarities.
Newcastle fans compare Longstaff with Carrick
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The best back up for Ki?
With injuries to a lot of Newcastle’s star midfielders, there was worries if Longstaff could fill the void.
A starting midfield of Isaac Hayden and an academy player doesn’t fill with confidence, but Longstaff has been a welcome surprise.
Much like Ki Sung-yueng, the 21-year old is a tidy player, who keeps possession well.
Before Ki became an important part of the side this season, Newcastle had looked erratic in possession.
There was fears that with the South-Korean on international duty this month, the Toon would fall back into old habits.
But Longstaff is looking like he may be able to perform Ki’s role for the next few weeks.
With Diame back in training, it will hopefully be Hayden who loses his place, so that Longstaff can continue his rise.