Tuesday 27 August 2019 23:53, UK
Newcastle boss Steve Bruce is ready to give Sean Longstaff's younger brother Matthew a chance to feature in the Newcastle first-team, after the midfielder impressed during pre-season.
The 19-year-old could be handed a competitive debut for the Magpies in Wednesday night's Carabao Cup second-round clash with Leicester.
Like Sean, Matthew has emerged from the Newcastle ranks largely unheralded, with new head coach Bruce admitting he knew little about him before the club's pre-season trip to China.
Asked if the younger Longstaff is ready for the first-team stage, Bruce said: "I think he is ready. He's good enough.
"He's bright, he's tenacious, can score a goal - he's got all the stuff you need to succeed. He's got a huge desire to do well, like his brother."
The 58-year-old added: "I didn't know anything about him until four weeks ago, to be honest. I saw this bright red face running around China - I thought it was going to burst! I thought, 'Is he all right?'.
"He's the way I went when you're red like that in the heat. The two of them absolutely have to have factor 50 on.
"He's got boundless enthusiasm. We've seen a little bit of him - he scored that great goal against St Etienne when he came on.
"He's impressed me enormously over the last four or five weeks. He's been training with us all the time, so I think it could be a good time to give him his debut."
The Longstaff brothers' father David won more than 100 caps for Great Britain's ice hockey team.
The pair have grown up in a sporting environment, and Bruce is reaping the rewards of that now.
He said: "I'm sure there must have been a competition between them all their life, the way they are. They are both hugely competitive and it's quite unique.
"We've got brothers and the pair of them could be playing. Fantastic."
