Sean Longstaff’s profession as a Premier League participant is six seasons outdated. In that point he is performed below three massive identify characters within the English recreation.
His Premier League debut was handed to him by Rafa Benitez. Sadly harm, then Benitez’ departure from St. James’ Park, curtailed his time below the previous Liverpool and Actual Madrid supervisor. Steve Bruce was Longstaff’s subsequent boss, he performed 65 instances below the previous Manchester United captain earlier than a takeover noticed a change of tempo at Newcastle.
Eddie Howe took over as boss in November 2022 and as Longstaff approaches his a hundredth recreation below the present man within the St. James’ Park hotseat we sat down with the midfielder to ask him concerning the contrasting kinds of all three bosses.
Sean Longstaff on Rafa Benitez
“Rafa was nice for me: an individual who’d talk about soccer the entire time. Whether or not you had been strolling down corridors on the coaching floor, having lunch or strolling off the pitch, he was at all times attempting to teach you.
“You suppose you understand what soccer is, then you definately communicate to him and there’s simply a lot extra to it.
“His defensive block – in case you had been half a centimetre out, he’d cease the coaching session and say, ‘It’s good to do that.'”
Sean Longstaff on Steve Bruce
“Below Rafa it was all nice, then I did my knee. Whether or not I used to be prepared to come back again and play, I wasn’t certain, however with a brand new supervisor [Steve Bruce], I felt like I wanted to. You could possibly really feel the negativity seeping in – it sounds unhealthy, however I’ve to be trustworthy.
“Steve Bruce was extra about attempting to be the man-manager and getting gamers motivated to play. Whether or not individuals agree or not with how he did it, that’s not for me to say. He was a lot completely different from the opposite two. Rafa and Eddie wish to actually coach you, whereas Steve was a supervisor: he picked the group and that’s it.
“From my standpoint, in case you removed the 2 years that adopted Rafa and fast-forwarded to this supervisor now, I really feel as if some individuals’s opinions of me would perhaps be greater. It may be tarnished by these two and a half years. Now, with the brand new supervisor, it’s been about attempting to alter individuals’s opinions about me.”
Sean Longstaff on Eddie Howe
“Working below Rafa, you suppose you understand a good bit concerning the recreation – then Eddie Howe is available in and his consideration to element is out of this world. We’re extra high-pressing and aggressive.
“Folks received’t realise it, however we’ve bought quite a few patterns of play – we now have seven several types of crosses! If I used to be an aspiring coach now, I’d be attempting to repeat Eddie each day.
“He hasn’t had us sheep herding but. I heard that on a podcast and requested him about it – he was like, ‘Ah, I simply can’t do away with this story.’ His assistant, Jason Tindall, is excellent at conserving everybody collectively.
“I’ve been concerned in squads the place the lads play, go dwelling and that’s it, however right here it’s the entire reverse. The lads are right here till actually late and we’ll simply sit within the canteen and discuss life. I believe that for almost all of us, this would be the group we talk about after we retire.
“Eddie simply believes in me greater than anybody else ever has. I believe he believes in me greater than I imagine in myself. I’ve not had somebody like that for a protracted, very long time.
“After I get pulled into his workplace, my preliminary considering is, ‘Oh no, what’s going to occur right here?’ Then I come out feeling one million {dollars}. He builds you up and also you suppose, ‘I’m greater than adequate – I’ve performed very properly at this stage’.
“He additionally has a bizarre knack of claiming one thing, then a few weeks later that factor occurs. He’ll say, ‘We have to work on taking part in towards 10 gamers’, then on the Saturday, somebody will get despatched off. He may say something and I’d do it for him.
“He has helped to alter my profession in such a optimistic manner. I like coming in each day. I like working with him and his teaching workers. I really feel like they’ve at all times bought my finest pursuits at coronary heart; there’s much more to come back from me and I believe they simply wish to get it out of me. The subsequent stage is to attain extra targets, be extra inventive and be extra of a pacesetter.”
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