Newcastle United have enjoyed success from developing players from within their academy during the 2023/24 campaign.
Players such as Elliot Anderson and Lewis Miley have broken into Eddie Howe’s first team and taken full advantage of the club’s injury situation – giving the boss a selection headache when all players are available at the start of next season.
Miley in particular has impressed, racking up 17 Premier League appearances over the last couple of months, while even scoring his first professional goal in the 3-0 win over Fulham.
Despite his tender age of just 18, he’s slotted straight into the Magpies squad, looking at home at St James’ Park despite his lack of experience at the top level.
He has the potential to star in the club’s midfield for many years to come, potentially being the pioneer in their efforts to challenge for a Premier League title again in the near future.
However, just a couple of years ago, many Newcastle supporters would’ve thought that one player could’ve been the future of the club, especially given his impact on his first-team debut, but he’s endured a huge drop in recent years, with Howe making the right decision by letting him leave Tyneside for pastures new.
Matty Longstaff’s stats at Newcastle United
After joining the club at the age of ten, midfielder Matty Longstaff quietly progressed through the club’s academy system, before getting his big opportunity in the senior side back in 2019.
At the age of 18, he made his Premier League debut against Manchester United, scoring a brilliant strike from outside the box, winning the Premier League’s Goal of the Month award in the process.
Longstaff would also bag his second goal for his boyhood club in the return fixture against the same opponents at Old Trafford, but unfortunately, that was as good as it got for the youngster at St James’ Park.
The promising midfielder only managed a total of 20 appearances for the club but enjoyed a successful loan stint at Mansfield Town before a serious knee injury prevented him from having any further impact on Tyneside.
Aberdeen
5
0
0
Mansfield Town
18
6
2
Colchester United
10
0
0
The huge investment from the Saudi PIF undoubtedly restricted the youngster from any further first-team action, with the ace no longer up to the level required following the signings of players such as Bruno Guimaraes and Joe Willock.
He would leave the Magpies upon the expiration of his deal at the end of 2023/24, but agreed to an early termination in order for him to move to Toronto FC in the MLS.
Matty Longstaff’s market value in 2024
Nearly five years on from his Magpies debut, the now 24-year-old has suffered a dramatic drop in his market value, unsurprisingly given his downfall over the past couple of years.
According to Transfermarkt, Longstaff is now only valued at a measly £800k, a huge drop from his market high of £4.2m back in 2021.
His subsequent figure is now over ten times lower than Magpies outcast Matt Targett, who still boasts a market value of £8.5m, despite not featuring for Howe’s side since the 2-2 draw against West Ham United back in October 2023.
It’s unfortunate to see Longstaff’s huge drop since his debut for the club a handful of years ago – with the one-time wonderkid having real potential to be a long-term talent alongside his brother Sean in Newcastle’s midfield.
However, it’s good to see him have a new settled home, where hopefully he can recapture his form and rebuild in order to reach the potential a lot of supporters once thought he had on Tyneside.
Howe must cash in on Newcastle man who earns nearly 6x more than Hall
He’s endured a terrible few weeks for Eddie Howe’s side.
ByEthan LambMay 22, 2024
