As Newcastle United gear themselves up for Sunday's Carabao Cup final encounter with Manchester United, one man who will likely be feeling that mix of nerves and excitement more than most is academy graduate, Sean Longstaff, with the North Shields native hoping to help steer his boyhood club to long-awaited glory.

As the 25-year-old has himself admitted, he is simply "living the dream" at present under Magpies boss Eddie Howe, having shaken off a tough spell under former manager Steve Bruce to emerge as a leading figure for the resurgent outfit.

The local lad will almost certainly be handed a starting berth for this weekend's highly-anticipated meeting at Wembley, with that involvement set to come just under five years on from the midfielder making his senior debut for the club in the competition back in August 2018.

That early impact under Rafa Benitez had seen the towering gem catch the eye of upcoming opponents, Man United, in the summer of 2019, albeit with the Red Devils ultimately walking away from any deal having baulked at the Tynesiders' reported £50m asking price.

Despite that initial promise, though, the 5 foot 11 machine was subsequently restricted to something of a bit-part role in the years that followed, having never made more than 15 Premier League starts in a single season prior to the beginning of the current campaign.

That lack of action now appears a distant memory for the club's "unsung hero", however - as lauded by pundit Tam McManus - with the Englishman having already started 19 league games this season, proving influential in the club's rampant run of form both in the top-flight and in the cup.

For all the expectancy that Newcastle would simply splash the cash following the change in ownership, it is a testament to the work of Howe that he has more than put his faith in those already at the club, with Longstaff one of the more obvious beneficiaries of the 45-year-old's appointment.

How much is Longstaff worth?

The playmaker's rise of late is illustrated by the fact that he is now set to be worth in the region of £16m, according to Football Transfers, with that a rather sizeable sum considering that the £50k-per-week man cost the club nothing to develop him in the youth ranks.

Not that the northeast side will be looking to cash in any time soon, however, with Longstaff currently blossoming in the centre of the park, having scored three goals and provided three assists in 30 games in all competitions this season.

Praised for being "absolutely everywhere" in the midfield by the aforementioned McManus, the one-time Blackpool loanee has showcased his defensive prowess by averaging 1.3 tackles per game in the league this season, while also offering a threat creatively as he laid on five big chances from his 23 top-flight outings.

The relentless gem's most telling contribution this term, however, came during the semi-final triumph over Southampton last month to help steer his side to the showpiece, having netted twice in the second-leg victory at St James' Park.

It would no doubt be fitting if Longstaff were to again prove the hero come Sunday, although no matter the outcome of that mouthwatering clash, Newcastle do appear to have struck gold by persisting with the youth product.