Steve Bruce praises NUFC's unsung hero in 2-1 win over Everton - "He was very good!"

Steve Bruce has hailed Sean Longstaff’s performance following our 2-1 win against Everton - believing he was back to somewhere near his best against the Blues.

Longstaff came in for the injured Shelvey and impressed, working his socks off in the middle of the park - something the England international is often criticised for - and showing moments of quality on the ball.

He almost scored too, but was denied by a superb stop from Everton debutant Robin Olsen between the sticks.

Here is what the gaffer had to say about Longstaff in his post-match interview:

"I nearly played him last week.

"Fair play to him, he's played the way we know he can.

"There's the standard of what we expect from him.

"I'm delighted with him - he was very good."

The midfielder won't take the headlines but was one of our best players today and could cement himself as a regular in the side if he continues with performances of the same vein.

One thing Shelvey has the edge on Longstaff is his range of passing. However, there were times today when Sean was pinging balls all over the park - something that we haven’t really seen from him before.

His attitude today epitomised the team overall, as we put in an efficient, gritty display to grind out a well-deserved three points!

Follow us on Twitter (@NUFCBlogcouk) and on Facebook HERE