“He’s a great kid, who has greatly changed physically and mentally in the time he’s been here.
“Long-term, he’s going to be a very good player.
“We’re delighted he chose to come and play football with us.
“He has a smile on his face day to day but he knows there are areas of his game he needs to improve on.
“He’d had a loan spell at Kilmarnock, so we were aware of him and we watched him in games.
“He’s done ever so well, he’s developing fabulously and he’s getting the game time which is what he wanted.”
Newcastle are said to be pleased with Longstaff’s progress, but want him to continue gaining valuable first-team experience before returning to pre-season training next summer.
The prospect of a loan move to a footballing side like Bristol City seems like the ideal step up if he can continue to show such promise at Blackpool. As Adam Armstrong has shown, doing it in League One is one thing, but taking that form to the Championship will be his next test if he is to threaten our first-team in the coming 12-18 months.
