Good for you Matty Longstaff – Career now finally moving in a positive direction | OneFootball

One of the very few high points of the Steve Bruce era as Newcastle United boss, was the spectacular and unexpected emergence of Matty Longstaff.

Having never previously made a first team appearance, he was thrust into the side for his debut against Manchester United, playing alongside his older brother Sean in a makeshift midfield.

The two brothers were outstanding at a raucous St James’ Park that day, with the icing on the cake being Matty’s brilliant driven winner from the edge of the box that left David De Gea helpless in the Manchester United goal.

It genuinely looked like the pair could have a hugely influential role to play in the future of their boyhood club.

Five years on, things look very different for the pair. Sean is still at the club, and has been a key part of Eddie Howe’s revolution over the last couple of years, often playing through the pain barrier in 2023/24 as Newcastle battled an unprecedented injury crisis.

Matty’s journey hasn’t been quite so straightforward and after a difficult couple of years, which saw him severely hampered by serious injury, he is now rebuilding his career in the MLS with Toronto FC.

Matty scored his first goal for the club on Saturday 5 May, matching his brother who scored on the same day against Burnley, and it looks as though Matty is now really starting to find his feet across the pond.

The first time I saw Matty Longstaff in action was in the final of the u23 Premier League Cup in May 2019 against Everton at Goodison Park.

Although on the losing side that day, Longstaff stood out like a sore thumb and it appeared inevitable that he would one day be following in the footsteps of his older brother and knocking on the door of the first team.

That chance would come under the management of Steve Bruce and after his stunning debut performance he would go on to make a total of 15 appearances that season, adding another Premier League goal against Manchester United at Old Trafford and a further strike in the FA Cup third round replay against Rochdale.

However, lingering in the background of Matty Longstaff’s first season in professional football was a contract dispute with the club, with the local lad very nearly deciding to join Serie A side Udinese, who offered a lucrative two-year deal. It would have been madness to allow a young talent who supported the club to walk away on a free transfer and eventually the breakthrough came, with the younger brother committing his future to the club until 2023.

With his long-term future seemingly settled, that should have been the point at which the younger Longstaff brother kicked on, either in the first team picture under Bruce, or with a well-managed loan move that would see him gain valuable first team experience.

What followed was nothing short of a shambles, with little blame attached to the player.

In 2020-21 he made just five first team appearances and didn’t feature at all after playing in a 3-0 defeat away at Arsenal in the middle of January, with his lack of football signalling that inexplicably he was no longer part of Steve Bruce’s plans, despite the club fighting to secure his contract the previous summer.

The following year he would finally head out on loan, travelling north of the border to sign for Scottish Premier League side Aberdeen. In truth, Longstaff struggled, making just five appearances before being recalled and shipped off to League Two Mansfield Town in the January.

Playing at a lower level, Matty Longstaff found some form and confidence, turning out on 18 occasions for Nigel Clough’s side as they made it to the League Two Play-Off final, with the midfielder playing for over an hour in a 3-0 defeat at Wembley to Port Vale. He also found his touch in front of goal, scoring six goals and adding a further two assists.

However, by the time Matty Longstaff returned to his parent club, the long-awaited takeover had taken place and it was clear that, unlike his brother, Matty no longer had a long-term future at the club.

That didn’t mean though that he didn’t have a future in the game and he signed another loan deal with League Two side Colchester United, making his debut in early September in a 1-1 draw against Hartlepool United.

Unfortunately for Longstaff, injuries were starting to become an increasing concern. A hamstring injury sidelined him for two months from mid-October, before he then suffered a horrible knee injury on his return to action at the end of December which would cut short his loan move and end his 2022/23 season in devastating fashion.

It would be a very serious injury that would also see him miss the whole of the 2023/24 season, although Eddie Howe allowed Longstaff to use the facilities to rehab the injury. A nice touch, that surely wouldn’t have happened under the previous regime.

After a significant period away from the game, redemption finally arrived for Matty Longstaff in the form of a move to MLS with Toronto. His progress has been steady, rather than spectacular, but importantly he has been able to get regular minutes under his belt and rebuild confidence in his body and in his undoubted talent.

At time of writing, Matty Longstaff has made 20 appearances since signing for the club, amassing over 1,300 minutes of action so far in 2024. He has scored three goals and added two assists.

After a good start in the league (MLS Eastern Conference), their form has tailed off and are without a win in six.

However, they are in with a chance of silverware, with the side having recently progressed to the semi-finals of the Canadian Championships.

The main thing though, is that a once promising career, which had been in danger of stalling permanently, is now moving in a positive direction. Good for you, Matty Longstaff.