I worked with Sean Longstaff as a youngster – Leeds United have made a good signing, says Neil Redfearn

Longstaff was coming through the system at Newcastle United when Redfearn was under-21 manager and briefly, in 2019, caretaker first-team manager.

Redfearn thinks it was a good move for Longstaff to swap St James' Park for Elland Road this summer after being squeezed out by Newcastle's global search for talent.

Finances were much tighter when Longstaff pushed his way into the Magpies side, but last season he found himself struggling for game-time with the likes Bruno Guimares and Sandro Tonali expensively recruited since Saudi Arabia bought the club.

Longstaff faces competition with Leeds too, having signed days before Anton Stach came to compete with him for one of the “No 8” box-to-box roles in Daniel Farke’s revamped three-man midfield.

He was on the bench for the opening game of the season at home to Everton but a knee injury to Ao Tanaka days later at Sheffield Wednesday opened the door to the Tynesider. With Tanaka now fit, Farke will have to pick two from him, Stach and Longstaff at Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday.

"When I was at Newcastle there was Sean Longstaff, and his brother (Matty) as well," said Redfearn, who had two spells as Leeds caretaker manager and one in the role full-time in the first half of the last decade.

"Sean was one of the kids that came through. Some grasp it and swim, and some come a little bit later.

"Sean was one of the players that got in and amongst that team.

"He's a good signing for Leeds."

But it got harder as it went on for the now-27-year-old.

"They've established themselves as a top Premier League club now, Newcastle United, and they're challenging the top-six, top-eight positions," saidRedfearn.

"Even losing (Alexander) Isak they've still got good players there. So for young players trying to get in here, it becomes tougher.

"When I went up initially to Newcastle, I'd gone as under-21s coach and as I got up there, Rafa (Benitez) and his staff, they all went. So we basically took over the first team for pre-season.

"We did the Asia Cup in China and we chanced it to take some young players and give them some experience. One of the players that went with us was Owen Bailey, who's ripping it up at Doncaster Rovers.

"That under-21 side were a decent side. A lot of players have gone in and done well.

"It's a good catchment area, Newcastle and the north east with Sunderland and Middlesbrough. There's a lot of really talented kids.

"The hard bit is getting in because not all managers think about youth and I get it. I understand it.

"But if you can get one or two younger players through, your supporters will forgive them. If you see them battling and fighting, chasing and tackling, putting people under pressure and giving everything, you know, they'll forgive you. Because it's their own, it gets them going."