Newcastle United midfielder Sean Longstaff says he was “distracted” by speculation linking him with a summer move to Manchester United.
The 21-year-old was the subject of interest from the Old Trafford club, but with Newcastle reportedly demanding a £50million fee, a deal never materialised.
Longstaff impressed in the second half of last season after being handed his top flight debut on Boxing Day by Rafa Benitez, but missed the final nine games of the Premier League campaign with a knee injury.
He has returned to fitness to feature in all four of Newcastle’s league matches so far this season, but admits his head was turned over the summer.
"You can sometimes get distracted by the outside noise and, maybe for a little bit in the summer, I did," Longstaff told NUFC TV.
"It's hard not to when you go anywhere and you see your face on the front of a newspaper or you turn the telly on and people are talking about you.
"It's not like they're talking about little things, they're talking about stuff that can change your life, really."
