Longstaff 'over the moon' to extend Blackpool stay

Longstaff will stay with the Seasiders until the end of the season

The Seasiders saw off interest from League One rivals Scunthorpe United to keep the midfielder at the club.

Scunthorpe chairman Peter Swann recently confirmed the Lincolnshire outfit were monitoring the midfielder, who has spent the first half of the season on loan at Bloomfield Road from Newcastle United.

The 20-year-old even scored against Scunthorpe in Pool’s 3-2 defeat on Boxing Day.

But Longstaff, whose initial loan deal comes to an end on Saturday, has opted to stay with Blackpool for the rest of the campaign.

“I’m over the moon to get it sorted,” he told The Gazette.

“I’ve enjoyed my time here so far and I think I’ve been a part of every game apart from two. So it’s been perfect for me.

“I’ve settled in really well. Obviously the lads are great and the staff are great, so I’m happy to get it over the line and now I’m looking forward to the second half of the season.”

When asked if it was a tough or easy decision to extend his stay at the club, Longstaff replied: “A little bit of both.

“I had a couple of options but when I sat down at the start of the year with Newcastle and talked to my family, we spoke about how it’s all about playing games and playing as many as possible really.

“Obviously Blackpool have given me the chance to do that so it was a pretty easy decision in the end.

“All any footballer wants to do is play week in, week out whatever age or whatever level.

“So I’m enjoying it. The style suits me here and I feel I can express myself best in the way we play.”

The promising midfielder has received plenty of plaudits for his displays so far this season, having found the back of the net on six occasions.

He started the season in superb form, scoring in each of his first four league games.

His performances dipped while Blackpool’s own form nosedived in November and December, but he has been back to his best over the festive period.

Prior to joining Blackpool, Longstaff was a key component in Newcastle’s U23 side and spent the second half of last season on loan to Kilmarnock in the SPL, scoring three goals in 17 appearances.