Sean Longstaff has proven the 'boo boys' wrong but needs to keep 'progressing' to remain a part of Newcastle United's ambitious future. That is the view of former Magpies full-back Warren Barton, who insists he never had doubts over the academy graduate's character and quality following a testing time on Tyneside.
Longstaff made his senior breakthrough in black-and-white under Rafa Benitez, but struggled for consistency under Steve Bruce. The midfielder often had to settle for a spot on the bench following Eddie Howe's appointment, with the Magpies eventually securing a mid-table finish last term.
Longstaff looked set to become a free agent last summer, only to sign a three-year contract extension in May last year. The 25-year-old has gone on to become a key player this season, starting the last 16 Premier League fixtures and earning praise for his industrious displays.
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Longstaff scored twice as the Magpies booked their spot at Wembley with a Carabao Cup semi-final victory over Southampton last month. Barton feels the midfielder has thrived as a result of his boyhood connection to the club, and has urged the North Shields-born star to maintain his current momentum by adding more goals to his game.
The Fox Sports pundit told ChronicleLive: "I had no worries about him. When the boo boys were after him a little bit, he's got character and he knows the club. He's black-and-white through and through, and he reminds me of Lee Clark in the sense of his personality and how he plays.
"I was never too concerned about his mentality and turning the fans around, for him to go forward is to keep progressing by getting better and better. He seems to be enjoying it, he's got a good fella next to him with [Dan] Burn having a laugh and a joke.
"He'll want to be at that club for as long as he can, and what the club has to do is to look after him. Eddie said they missed his drive and his tenacity and that's what comes from being a Geordie. He understands it, and somehow inside he finds the way to push forward.
"I never had doubts about his personality and character, what he has to do now is what he's been doing. Get forward, believe in yourself, score goals and keep riding it. He's doing well, and he's got Bruno [Guimaraes] who will put him into the areas. He's doing great, I'm delighted for him."
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