Matty Longstaff in Aberdeen confession as Newcastle midfielder lifts lid on 'eye opening' failed loan

Matty Longstaff admits his short-lived loan to Aberdeen was an "eye-opener," as the Newcastle midfielder gets set to spend the rest of the season at English League Two side Mansfield Town.

Longstaff arrived from Newcastle in the summer with a big reputation having once been one of the brightest prospects for the Tyneside club.

He threatened a major breakthrough when he scored against Manchester United and it was hoped a loan north of the border would help him rediscover his form.

But he managed just three starts under Stephen Glass and was recalled by Newcastle in January, having failed to make a squad since late November.

Now he admits the SPFL was a baptism of fire he wasn't quite prepared for as he told iFollow the combative style of football in Scotland caught him off-guard.

“It was an eye-opener," he told iFollow. "It was the first time I’d been out on loan. You get to see a different side of football.

"A bit of a long ball kind of game, but I think everything happens for a reason and I’m just looking forward to getting going here (Mansfield).

“In Scotland everything was more of a fight, there’s probably not as much quality there as there is in the Premier League."