After making his breakthrough in the 2018/2019 season when he made his full Premier League debut against Chelsea, Sean Longstaff hasn't kicked on some would have hoped at Newcastle.

It even led to then Magpies boss Rafa Benitez saying he deserved a call-up to the England boss, insisting: "Sean wouldn’t look out of place with England, there are not too many young English players with his quality. I think he will go, he’s doing well and playing in the Premier League. I like to see my players going to the national team."

But fast forward more than a year, and Longstaff has yet to move forward, with this season seeing him play just 13 minutes of football in the Premier League - two games even saw him fail to make the match-day squad.

After handing him a rare start against Blackburn Rovers in the Carabao Cup back in September, Steve Bruce admitted that Longstaff has got a lot of work to do to get back to his best.

He said: "Sean is in the last two years of his contract – we all know what capabilities he's got he's got to show it more often and more regularly. He's got a lot of work to do, but he's got healthy competition around him and as I said, he was another one who needed a game tonight and I think that showed."

Bruce also added that he thinks the 22-year-old's long-term future could be in the number ten role, and that's something that tallies well with what former Scotland international, Kris Boyd, has said.

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He declared: "Sean Longstaff is a throwback. He is willing to take risks. He is a midfielder who is willing to take a shot, willing to try that forward pass. He might lose it five times out of six but he is prepared to do that because he knows that the sixth time it might lead to the goal that wins the game. He is always on the front foot and that's what I like about him."

With Jonjo Shelvey out injured, Newcastle need one of their brightest prospects to really step up to the mark. If he can get back to his best, then he could be the kind of game-changer that adds something different to the Magpies midfield.