I could barely walk and spent 15 months unemployed after boyhood club released me – now I’m thriving at new team

8 months ago 42

FORMER NEWCASTLE whizzkid Matty Longstaff is thriving again after a nightmare 15 months of unemployment where he was barely able to walk.

The midfielder had spent most of the last year-and-a-half cheering his brother Sean Longstaff on from the St James’ Park stands after suffering an injury nightmare.

Matty Longstaff is now loving life playing for Toronto FC in the MLS[/caption]

Now the 24-year-old is looking to get back to his best after starting a new life in Canada.

However, while he cheered on his younger sibling, it could quite easily have been Matty being the one making headlines after his own dramatic breakthrough into the Newcastle first-team.

He says he “lived his dream” playing for his hometown team after bursting on the scene in October 2019 with a debut man of the match display and the only goal of the game in a 1-0 victory over Manchester United.

Matty was earning just £850-a-week and a host of big clubs were soon circling as they chased his signature with Italian sides Inter Milan and Udinese both keen.

Unfortunately, things failed to pan out as expected when his development contract expired in 2020 after three goals in 15 appearances during his maiden campaign.

He finally agreed to a two-year contract but a big drop in form and injuries restricted his progress.

Matty failed to shine in loan spells at Scottish club Aberdeen and in League Two with Mansfield only for things to get worse.

Last season he headed to the fourth tier again to try to reignite his career at Colchester United, but he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury on Boxing Day.

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The Geordie was released by Newcastle in June when his deal expired but Eddie Howe did not turn his back on him and allowed him to use the training ground while undergoing his rehab.

However, Matty was handed a career lifeline by fellow Geordie John Herdman after he impressed enough to earn a two-year contract at MLS side Toronto FC.

Longstaff told ChronicleLive: “I had not played football for 15 months so you don’t know if you’re going to be good or you’re going to be rubbish.

“I thought I may as well enjoy it. I might never get another chance.

“It is the one you fear the most. I had two surgeries and so many questions run through your head.

“One day you feel good; the next day you’re struggling to walk or your knee starts to crack a little bit when you try to walk down the stairs.

“You go from having really positive days to negative ones so quickly. You have so many thoughts.”

However, he now has four appearances for his new team under his belt and he appears to be loving life in Canada.

He said: “You cherish the moments a little bit more knowing what you have gone through.

“I look forward to waking up and coming to training every day. When you have days off, you’re a bit disappointed because you’re enjoying it so much.

“When we start playing twice a week in a few months’ time, I might say something different! But I’ve absolutely loved it.

“I’ve absolutely loved working with the manager and all his staff. There are such great people working in the building that hopefully we can do something special.”