How Sean Longstaff played on his quick-fire debut for Leeds after leaving Newcastle United…
Away from the misery that is Newcastle United, Sean Longstaff made his Leeds United debut less than 24 hours after joining the club on Saturday.
Longstaff left Newcastle in a deal that could be worth up to £15million, signing for the Yorkshire giants on a four-year deal.
It was sad to see the midfielder depart, but it felt like the right time. The 27-year-old lost his starting place to Sandro Tonali last season and had entered the final year of his contract.
Longstaff officially signed for Leeds late on Friday night before making his debut for the club in their 0-0 draw with Manchester United in a pre-season friendly out in the Swedish city of Stockholm.
Here’s how he performed.
READ MORE: How Newcastle United feel about Sean Longstaff leaving and what could happen next
Manchester United v Leeds United – Pre-Season Friendly.
Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images
Sean Longstaff statistics in Leeds United debut
The Newcastle academy graduate came on for his Leeds debut at half-time.
As per Fot Mob data, he created one chance, found the mark with 24 of his 25 attempted passes (96%), had 29 touches and made one pass into the final third.
Defensively, he made two recoveries and won two of his three ground duels.
Clearly, it’s unwise to read too much into a pre-season friendly but it appears as if Longstaff has made a solid start at Leeds, particularly considering the fact he only joined a matter of hours before his bow.
Manchester United vs Leeds statistics Sean Longstaff
Minutes played 45
Touches 29
Completed passes 24/25
Chances created 1
Recoveries 2
Ground duels won 2/3
Sean Longstaff stats on Leeds debut, data via FotMob
Eddie Howe breaks silence as Newcastle United sell Sean Longstaff
Longstaff admitted it was nice to feel “wanted” by Leeds, which would perhaps suggest he didn’t get that vibe during his final days at Newcastle.
Still, Eddie Howe sent a classy message to Longstaff after Newcastle lost 4-0 to Celtic in a pre-season friendly.
Though there was no statement from the Newcastle United manager when the club initially confirmed Longstaff’s exit, Howe commented on the matter after the Celtic debacle.
Howe to @bbcnewcastle on Sean Longstaff: “I can’t speak highly enough of him & his contribution. We’re going to miss him greatly. He leaves a big hole in our squad. You can’t keep everyone on the journey but this is sad timing for us because he still has so much to offer.” #NUFC
— Matthew Raisbeck (@raisbeck10) July 19, 2025
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“I can’t speak highly enough of him and his contribution,” he said.
“We’re going to miss him greatly. He leaves a big hole in our squad. You can’t keep everyone on the journey but this is sad timing for us because he still has so much to offer.”
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