Sean Longstaff insists he will obey “everything” Eddie Howe tells him to do at Newcastle United. In an interview with The Times, the 24-year-old eulogised his manager and the impact he has had at St James’ Park.
Eight months ago, a despondent Magpies squad were winless and hurtling towards Premier League relegation. Critics questioned whether Howe was the right man to take charge due to his attacking football philosophy.
However, the naysayers were quickly silenced as the 44-year-old inspired a drastic turnaround on Tyneside. Newcastle finished a staggering 14 points clear of the relegation zone - despite being favourites for the drop at Christmas.
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Toon supporters have noticed Howe’s relentless approach on the training ground. Following his arrival, the team looked fitter, sharper and more cohesive, with Jonjo Shelvey claiming he was in bed by 8pm each night due to the intensity of the sessions.
Now, Longstaff has discussed how the Magpies boss places equal importance on the mental dynamics of a dressing room.
“We have a fine session and at the end of the fine session, a player or a member of the coaching staff has to give a timeline of their life,” he said. “The gaffer did the first one, and he goes through his whole life, with pictures, and he talks about his family and he got emotional talking about it. He loved his dog and he spoke about that.
“I came out of the meeting and I was like ‘wow, how can you not want to play for someone that’s willing to basically strip themselves bare and we’ve only known each other five or six days.’
The North Shields native also revealed how Howe helped him regain his confidence. Despite emerging as the most talented academy product in recent years, Longstaff’s Newcastle career stalled under Steve Bruce and he appeared destined to leave on multiple occasions.
An impressive end to the 2021-22 campaign saw the midfielder earn a new three-year contract and he has continued to impress in pre-season.
Longstaff added: “He’d (Howe) been at the club for about a week when he came to me and said he hadn’t realised I was out of contract in the summer and he helped me through that period.
"He is the first manager I’ve had multiple conversations with on the phone. Everything he says I trust. Everything he tells me to do, I’ll do, because I believe it’s going to make me a better footballer.”
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