Captain Jamaal Lascelles has revealed why Matty Longstaff was exactly what Newcastle United needed after their humiliating defeat at Leicester City.
The 19-year-old from North Shields enjoyed a dream Premier League debut alongside brother Sean against Manchester United.
The promising midfielder's strike was enough to secure the victory and lift the Magpies out of the relegation, easing the pressure on head coach Steve Bruce and the club.
Speaking to Sky Sports, club captain Lascelles admitted he was "over the moon" for the younger Longstaff's debut and praised his impact on the team.
The defender said: “I'm buzzing for him. Since pre-season, he's come into the squad and he's top of running.
"He's really fit, he works hard and all of that hard work has paid off for him. He's been thrown into the deep end, pretty similar to his brother last year.
"Matty is only 19, but what you do know is he's a young Geordie lad who's going to roll his sleeves up and play with his heart.
"I think straight after the Leicester game, we needed players to be like that and he's a prime example of what you can get from that.
"On top of that he got us a goal, and ultimately his goal got us the three points. I'm over the moon for him."
The performance of both Longstaff brothers together at St James' Park has dominated the headlines since the Magpies' victory.
Matty was aiming to impress in the Magpies' reserves only months ago, and Lascelles admits it is refreshing to see local lads making an impact in the Premier League.
The United captain finished: “You see all these big teams signing players for millions and millions of pounds from across seas and everywhere else. Matty Longstaff was not long ago training down with the reserve team and just coming up through the ranks.
"He's managed to grab a first-team spot, and he's grabbed it with two hands and done a fantastic job. He's humble, he's a very nice genuine lad and it must mean the world to him so I'm really happy.”
