When Matty Longstaff scored on his Newcastle United debut against Manchester United, it seemed as if the Magpies had a potential superstar on their hands.

Sadly, since then, the young midfielder has done little to suggest that he will ever make it as a Premier League player, and Eddie Howe should look to get rid of the 22-year-old at the earliest opportunity.

The younger brother of Sean, made his first team debut as a 19-year-old and scored the only goal of the game in a 1-0 win, adding another goal in a 4-1 defeat against the same opposition later in the season.

Longstaff's only other goal for the club came in a FA Cup replay against Rochdale in the 2019/20 season, with the youngster unfortunately never kicking on from that eye-catching campaign.

The midfielder was sent on loan to Aberdeen for the first half of the 2021/22 season after struggling for regular game time in the 2021/22 campaign, with links to Udinese perhaps disrupting the youngster's focus.

During his time in Scotland, he would manage just five appearances, in which he failed to score or assist, with his chances of making it in Newcastle's first team quickly diminishing.

There were eyebrows raised when Longstaff joined Mansfield Town in League Two for the second half of last season but his performances there indicated that he could still have a promising future, as he contributed an impressive six goals and two assists in 18 appearances.

However, it became clear that he wasn't part of Howe's plans for this season and inexplicably, he was sent back on loan to League Two, this time with Colchester United.

After scoring six goals in a side challenging for promotion, it seems baffling that he was allowed to join Colchester, who look likely to be involved in a relegation battle this season, as surely a League One loan or return to Mansfield would have been far more beneficial.

The fact that he has made just six appearances for Colchester this season and has failed to score or assist, suggests that Longstaff simply does not have a future in Newcastle's first team, and Howe must bite the bullet and get rid of him at the earliest opportunity.