So is that it, then? Is the dream dead? When Sean Longstaff burst on to the scene in 2019, closely followed by his younger brother Matty, a Newcastle United fanbase desperate to see more academy graduates feature in the first team appeared to have got their wish.
But, as Newcastle supporters have found out the hard way during the Mike Ashley era, positivity doesn’t tend to last long at St James’ Park.
Since Steve Bruce replaced Rafa Benitez in one of football’s hottest hot seats, Sean Longstaff has gone from the second coming of Michael Carrick – remember when he was a £50 million target for Manchester United? – to little more than a frustrated benchwarmer.
But spare a thought for Matty.
Would Newcastle youngster Matty Longstaff profit from a spell at West Brom?
In October, two years will have passed since the Rotherham-born dynamo announced himself with a famous winner against Manchester United.
Since then, his progression has stalled even more dramatically than his brother’s, starting just four games as Newcastle clawed their way to a flattering mid-table finish in 2020/21.
If Longstaff Jr can’t claim a starting berth ahead of the likes of Jonjo Shelvey and Jeff Hendrick, then rarely has one player needed a loan move more than Newcastle’s number four.
Fortunately, The Chronicle reports Bruce won’t stand in his way with West Brom and Middlesbrough ready to offer Longstaff regular first-team football, albeit in the Championship rather than the Premier League.
And while Longstaff’s demise leaves a sour taste in the mouths of many Newcastle supporters, there’s an acceptance a short-term spell at the Hawthorns could be exactly what the talented young midfielder needs.
Hey, it worked for Dwight Gayle when he fell out of favour…
Here’s what some Newcastle supporters on Twitter had to say about Longstaff:
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