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Newcastle sensation Sean Longstaff on his rapid rise

Sean Longstaff is revisiting the moment he with Newcastle United 's academy coaches to discuss his first professional contract. Except, there was no professional contract. They did not think he was good enough.

That was less than three years ago. Today, the 21-year-old is one of the most talked about young footballers in the country and is being touted for England.

He will learn this week if he has the likes of Paul Pogba and Sergio Aguero to the February Player of the Month prize, but he will also discover the extent of the knee injury at West Ham on Saturday

Sean Longstaff has excelled just claiming his place in Rafa Benitez's Newcastle United side

Today, the 21-year-old is one of the most talked about young footballers in the country

Longstaff will visit a specialist on Wednesday after picking up a knee injury against West Ham

He will visit a specialist on Wednesday and there remains hope days as opposed to weeks

If it is the latter, he will cope. Setbacks have served as motivation before.

'I remember the Under-23s coaches saying, "You're not one of the top players, we're just going to give you a scholarship," says the midfielder. , who joined his hometown club aged seven.

'I was 18, I wanted to be a first-year pro. I had an opinion of myself but theirs was different. It was not nice to hear, it pays you a bit.

'It was not about the money. Saying that, I went on loan to Kilmarnock at £ 300 a week – after tax and stuff I literally had nothing left.

'But it motivated me. I would like to go back and say to those coaches, "You're wrong, I'll be the one who kicks on and makes it." "Only I could change that opinion."

Longstaff has certainly done that. As for opinion of him now, Alan Shearer and Gary Lineker are tweeting praise on a weekly basis.

'I was in shock when they first did that, I did not know how to respond, it was crazy, 'he says.

Crazy is one word to describe Longstaff's emergence. He spent last season on loan at League One Blackpool and only his Premier League debut as a substitute at Liverpool on Boxing Day. Were it not for injuries to senior team mates, he would be back out on loan now

Instead, he has started the last 11 matches – scoring twice – a run in which four straight home victories have saved Newcastle's season, and that is why Rafa Benitez is desperate for good news on his injury.

The midfielder made his debut on Boxing Day when he found a substitute at Anfield

Two years ago, while on loan at Scottish side Kilmarnock, he was just £ 300 a week

One of those, a 2-1 win over Manchester City, saw Pep Guardiola applaud Longstaff after he outwitted both Fernandinho and Kevin De Bruyne

Life, he agrees, has changed beyond the space of just two months.

'I have not changed, I'm still the same lad who lives at home with my mom, brother and sister, 'he says, younger sibling Matthew also on the books at Newcastle.

' But yeah, other things have changed. It's all a bit strange, I was not expecting this. The other morning I was leaving the house and the shopping was getting delivered. The Sainsbury's delivery guy was like, "Are you …?". So we got a selfie.

'I could not help him with the bags though, I was already late for training!'

If Longstaff has his duties aback by his sudden arrival on the big stage – he was never a player trumpeted for greatness – then it's the question: how has he been so good?

'I do not know!' he laughs, somewhat embarrassed. 'I think going to a higher level has me, being around better players.

' I went in with an open mindset and perhaps a bit of naivety, which is not a bad thing. I think, "You've always dreamed of being here, you might as well get it down." I think that has given me freedom. "

A genuine question: his preferred foot?

'My right, but both feel natural. It started when I was 13. I realized, "I'm not going to fit five payers and score", so for me it was about having something different, and being two-footed was it. I pride myself on that now. "

Longstaff has won comparison to Michael Carrick and plays as far as everyone else sees in slow motion, so much time does he have on the ball.

That's just the way I look, I'm a laid-back person. As much as it might look easy, in my head, believe me, it's going a million miles an hour! '

Pep Guardiola applauded Longstaff after he outwitted Manchester City at the end of January

Longstaff's head was in a spin when Benitez told him he was going on at Anfield. His dad David, the former Great Britain ice hockey star, was in the way and he was so emotional was he when fans greeted his son's introduction with a chorus of, 'Sean Longstaff, he's one of our own

It was a bit too much for the young man on the touchline

'It was weird, this moment you've imagined all your life, and all you' re thinking is, "I hope I do not fall over!". It's something you do everyday, literally run in a straight line. I even tied my shorts ridiculously tight because I did not want them fall down.

'The staff were passing on messages, which went into one ear and straight out the other. I ran on and thought, "I need to tell someone something, but I do not know who and I do not know what!".

Then he heard the song.

"I've been chanting about Newcastle players in the crowd myself. You then think, "Hold on, this one's about me". I just stopped and looked around, "Wow, this is unbelievable". I went numb. It gives you chills. "

Very few diners at the Miller & Carter steakhouse on Newcastle's Mosley Street last October." "They brought a big cake out …"

'They brought a big cake out … it was the last thing I wanted, "says Longstaff, remembering his 21st celebrations with his family. "I hate being the center of attention."

He best get used to it. The good news for Newcastle fans is that we have no desire to move on.

'If someone had told me when I was 10 you had to do that, I would have quit football! That's about the furthest from my comfort zone I can be. "

What did he sing?

Longstaff was speaking to Sportsmail's Craig Hope about his rapid rise at St James' Park

He scored his first goal at home in the Premier League against Burnley in February

'Love Yourself by Justin Bieber … I know. I'm just thankful it's done, I'm never changing clubs now. "

Where Longstaff is more at ease, it would seem, is at home in North Shields. Rather than hit the town, it was there that he returned after his man-of-the-match performance against City, 'all of us watching and talking up' before retiring to his bedroom, 'still wide awake', to play on his Xbox.

'My mom still tells me to get it off,' he smiles. 'But the lads say as much as possible, especially if my moms doing all the cooking and cleaning.

' I love having my brother there as well. We help each other so much with our football. There are rows, and that can wind the dog up a bit, but it's a fun house to be in. '

Home could well have been Sweden for the Longstaffs. They moved to Stockholm for a year when David signed for Djurgardens, the country's biggest team.

'Me and Matty would probably be playing ice hockey if we'd stayed. Even after that, we were tempted to follow Dad. When we watched him we thought it was amazing, and that's all we knew.

'But Dad was great, he saw we were better at football and pushed us towards that – it was the right decision!'

Sean's father – David – was an international ice hockey player for Great Britain

David, now player coach or Whitley Warriors, is an imposing character, a thickset frame in contrast to the wiry build of his eldest son. That is perhaps why the boys were not too worried when their dad got into one of those infamous on-ice fights.

'You do not want to beat him up … but he's a pretty big bloke, I knew he could handle himself. "

Longstaff not only has a sporting dad with more than 100 international caps to lean on, he also has 'Uncle Alan', the former Newcastle, Celtic and England midfielder Alan Thompson.

So what a piece of Thompson's advice does he value most?

'Pass forward,' says Longstaff. It is a fascinating insight and explains what it is about.

'He says it's easy to come in and pass sideways or backwards. He's always told me that I'm good enough to play at this level. He tells me to be good. I rely on him a lot. "

While Longstaff looks up to Uncle Alan – his dad's cousin – he's discovering what it's like to be a role model himself, especially for his 18-year-old brother, who is played alongside the Under-23s this season.

Longstaff's father is cousins with the former Celtic and Bolton midfielder Alan Thompson

'I want to show him that it's possible, that if you keep working you deserve. I think he's a great player. He's similar to me, he has more tackles and gets around, he's easy to play with.

'It makes you proud. I would love for him to go further than me in his career. "

It sounds like a future midfield pairing.

'I agree! It worked in the 23s and he could definitely break through. That would be the ultimate dream. "

We have delayed talk of England. But be it the Under-21s or seniors, a call-up will arrive at some point.

'If it happens then great, it will not affect me if it does not. I've never been with England so I am used to not being involved.

'My age group is strong, they won the World Cup in 2017, so it's strange seeing my name linked. I suppose it shows the progress I've made. "

Longstaff has come a long way since being told he was not good enough.

Longstaff has been keeping the likes of Jonjo Shelvey out of the starting line-up at Newcastle

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