Matty Longstaff’s eyes must have lit up when Isaac Hayden was sent off against Leicester.
While Newcastle were down to 10 men, a chance for the teenager to play against Manchester United emerged.
Hayden is suspended and Jonjo Shelvey is still recovering from injury, severely denting Steve Bruce’s midfield options. Sean Longstaff seems guaranteed to start, but should he play alongside Ki Sung-Yueng or his little brother?
Ahead of the game, Bruce confirmed that the younger Longstaff is in contention, meaning he could line up alongside his brother against one of the biggest clubs in world football.
But should Bruce take the risk? Absolutely.
As things stand, the world is against the Toon boss. Nothing is going right, with his side sitting in bottom three with no signs of getting out. The 5-0 drubbing at Leicester was a new low for Bruce.
So what has he got to lose if he starts Matty Longstaff?
Ki would be the safe option. He’s experienced and has proven in the past that he can be reliable. However, he’s struggled this season, and is hardly going to excite fans if they see his name in the starting XI.
But if Matty starts, the crowd will get an immediate lift. We love nothing more than seeing one of our own walk out at St James’ Park. Everyone got behind Sean Longstaff when he came into the team at the start of the year and it probably helped him during his fantastic run.
He proved he can handle the rigours of Premier League football. He was thrown in at the deep end and he lived to tell the tale. The same could happen for Matty.
Injury and suspension has created an opening and he should be given the chance to show what he can do. Ki’s had chances and failed to take them. Bruce should take the risk and start Matty alongside his brother Sean. It’s not like they could do any worse!
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