Sean Longstaff spoke to the Chronicle in China, as he broke his silence over the continual speculation surrounding his Newcastle United future amid rumours of impending bids from Manchester United.
While the player said it is “flattering” to hear the talked about interest, he also added his “job is at Newcastle” and he is excited to “get on the pitch and impress the new boss”.
He told the Chronicle: “I just keep my head down.
“I am just trying to get fit – that’s all I can focus on. I am still a Newcastle United player.
“I want to get back on the pitch as soon as I can. That is what I am looking forward to doing.
“I make more and more progress everyday, that’s all I look forward to. I can’t wait to get on the pitch and impress the new boss.”
So clearly his focus is solely on Newcastle, which will be a relief for fans who always worry that players could be sold during the Mike Ashley era.
Speaking of the speculation, Longstaff added: “This time last year I was deciding whether to go to League One (Portsmouth) on loan. A year on, you are seeing your name linked with one of the biggest clubs in the world.
“For me, it is all a positive really. It gives you even more confidence. When I was in for a short amount of time people took notice of me. It is flattering but my job is at Newcastle.”
Sky Sports steered the comments in a different direction
Interesting then, that Sky Sports cherry-picked the “flattering” comment for their headline, to intimate that the player may be interested in a move to Old Trafford.
They also focus on the latter-mentioned comments for their article, which is in line with their continual narrative throughout the summer, seeming to push for the move to happen.
It is understandable that Manchester United, being a massive club, generate a big audience for Sky, whether it is on their sports news channels, or fans reading their website.
But they appear to have steered the comments in a misleading direction, giving them a different context than the way they were intended.
The Chronicle published a more in depth version, which gives fans the full picture, and they will clearly read them as a player who is flattered, but focused on playing for Newcastle United.
Unfortunately, fans from outside the region will be unlikely to read the Chronicle’s article, and will rely on Sky’s misguided version, that the player could be inviting a bid from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
I know which version I believe, but sadly, it will not the same for the nationwide audience.
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