There’s debut goals, and then there’s scoring a 72nd-minute winner at St. James’ Park to stun Manchester United 1-0 playing alongside your older brother.
19-year-old Matty Longstaff got to live out the dream of most footballers in his first game as a professional and the moment was so special, older brother Sean, 21, claimed watching Matty’s heroics was the best moment of his young career.
“I remember thinking ‘This is the best seat in the house’,” Sean said. “Getting to watch him walk out for the first time at St James’ Park as a brother and teammate.
“I was a bit to the side of it when he scored but I think I did shout ‘Just hit it Matty!’ when the ball came to him. I wasn’t up with play, he was.
“I’ve had that feeling before, but for him to do that on his debut against Manchester United, it was such a big game, the emotion was crazy. I actually froze for a second.
“I didn’t know what do, I didn’t know whether to just fall down on to my knees and I filled up, I thought I was going to start crying and you can’t do that out on the middle of a football pitch.
“I had to try and jump on someone and hide a bit. It was pure happiness. I think it was a better feeling than one I scored my first goal.
“Just the occasion, him being so young and it being his debut, knowing everything he has been through to get to that point when he was younger. He was turned away by Newcastle when he was 10 or 11, but he fought back.
“I was in the car with him when he was rejected on the way home and he was crying. From that night, he said ‘Nobody is going to be able to do this to me again’.
“He worked so hard to get back, he probably does work harder than me. I look at him and if I could work as hard as he does, I don’t know where I could get to.
“His work rate, everything he does off the pitch is better than me. It felt like everything had been building to that moment he scored. It was unbelievable and even now I get a bit emotional talking about.”
Newcastle are now set to offer Matty Longstaff a new contract, while Sean is currently taking his time in making a decision on his future.
The Magpies will take on Chelsea this Saturday at Stamford Bridge.