"I was ready to go" - Must-read interview as Mag opens up on mental health, Bruce and Howe
If you haven't seen it already, George Caulkin's exclusive interview with Sean Longstaff is one of the best things you'll read all year.
It includes more than one dig at Steve Bruce, an insight into the midfielder's struggles - both on and off the pitch - and how Eddie Howe's arrival helped change his life.
The Geordie midfielder also admits that he was "ready to go" at one stage, revealing that he was close to joining former boss Rafa Benitez at Everton; until Howe's appointment offered him the fresh start he so desperately needed at St James' Park.
Longstaff has been one of many success stories over the past 18 months, seeing him go from a dejected fringe player on the verge of leaving to one of the key cogs in this high-energy machine Howe has built.
Here's a few snippets from the in-depth piece from The Athletic, starting with some telling comments about life under Bruce and the negative impact it had on his career:
“I feel like me again. I’ve missed out on a couple of years of learning (during the Bruce era), so I’m playing catch-up.
“It’s weird, looking back. Before the new manager came to Newcastle, I wasn’t enjoying football. I wasn’t enjoying coming in every day and not really playing. In my opinion, I didn’t feel like I was getting massively coached into becoming the best version of me.
“Sometimes you have to do what’s best for yourself and Rafa gave me my chance at Newcastle and I’d played well for him, so it was natural to have a little look at that.
"Earlier in the season, I was ready to go. I knew Everton weren’t in the best of form and with Rafa being ex-Liverpool, it was tricky for him, but in my head, I’d probably got to the point of, ‘Right, that’s it, that’s my decision’. Sometimes you need a fresh start to go find yourself.
“When Steve Bruce came in as manager, I’d come back from injury and didn’t really feel like I was ready but sort of felt like I had to play, and when you’re in that mindset and in that position, you’re never going to be able to play well."
Longstaff then opened up about his battles with his mental health after this period, discussing his personal troubles and a text from Matt Ritchie encouraging him to seek help:
"As much as I didn’t enjoy football, I think the biggest thing was I didn’t like me. I wasn’t great with family. Taking out my frustration. That’s bad because they’re always going to be there no matter what and they had to deal with me on some horrible days.
“It was little things. We’d go for a meal and I’m miserable in the corner because you take your job home, don’t you? Family holidays: I was there but I wasn’t there. I was a bit of an ****. Sulky, more than anything. I knew I had to change.
“Everyone probably knows the story of me having breakfast with my dad and my brother — it got to that point where it hit the peak and that’s when I pretty much broke down and thought, ‘Yeah, I’m not in the right place here’.
“Matt Ritchie texted me that night and said, ‘Longy, you need to speak to someone’ and gave me the number of a psychologist and that was the start of it turning the other way. Two years down the line, a lot has changed.”
The 25-year-old then shared how everything changed following Howe's arrival, offering an insight into his training sessions and the "love" shown to his players; admitting that he spoke to Howe more in one month than he had done in two years with Bruce:
“After his (Howe's) first training session, I thought, ‘That’s totally different’. I loved every second. I didn’t play much at the start but I always thought the way he wanted to play really suited me, and once I’d got in…”
“I needed it massively. In my opinion, it was something that had been lacking in the two years prior. It’s like anything: as much as you’re a professional and an adult, if someone shows you a bit of love and affection and tells you how great you are, it’s nice to hear. I hadn’t heard it for a long time.
“I spoke to the new manager more that month than I’d spoken to the old one in two years, which is probably not a good sign. He told me what his plans were, how he saw me in the team. He said, ‘We’ll get you a new contract sorted’ — the club had just let me run into the last year of my deal. I thought to myself, ‘I don’t really think I believe you’, but it came true.
“My mentality shifted from being ready to go to, ‘You’ve got six months to save your Newcastle career’. I remember going home and saying, ‘I want to stay’ and that’s when I had to show him I really wanted to be part of it. I’ll forever be grateful. But the second I met him and his staff, knowing straight away he would help me get better as a player and person, I was ready to run through brick walls for him.”
The local lad then explained how this impacted his mood and motivation levels, feeling he's much more like his normal self two years on:
"I think I’m nicer to be around and more chilled out. A lot of it is down to my team-mates and the staff. They’re always speaking to you about life, about everything. They’re there, they care and they want what’s best for you. That’s been the biggest difference for me.
“I love coming in every day now, I love training. I’m trying to live every day and embrace every moment. I’m so happy I stayed.”
Finally, Longstaff spoke about his battle to stay in Howe's XI, refusing to give up his place easily despite some of the big names being tipped to arrive this summer:
“I’ll back myself to stay in the team. You have to. You see some of the names being linked with the club and think, ‘If those are the players they’re looking to replace me with, then I can’t be too bad!’.
"Whoever comes in, I’ll welcome them with open arms, but I won’t give my shirt up easily.”
What a great interview and brilliant story on Newcastle's unsung hero and ever-improving midfield workhorse.
As a local lad who's been dreaming of times like this, thank goodness he stayed and played a big role in this incredible turnaround.
