Loan signing Matty Longstaff says he expects the pressure to perform to be as high at Pittodrie as it is at St James’ Park.
Aberdeen completed a transfer coup on Friday, landing the 21-year-old – who has made 14 English Premier League appearances for Newcastle United – on a season-long loan.
The Magpies youth academy product, who had suitors in the English Championship, immediately thought the Dons was the “perfect” place to rack up the minutes when Stephen Glass made his interest known.
However, Longstaff was all in on a move to Aberdeen after seeing Pittodrie “rocking” during Thursday’s Europa Conference League loss to Azerbaijan’s Qarabag.
The England under-20 international said: “I found out a couple of days ago before we played Burnley in the cup. I had meeting, spoke to the club about it.
“The biggest thing is coming somewhere you want to and playing games. This seemed the perfect place for me.
“I was straight up on Thursday. It ended up being a six-and-a-half-hour drive, which wasn’t great, but at least I got here.
“I got to see the stadium rocking, the fans were unreal and I’m really happy to be here.
“It was unbelievable. Obviously it was the first time I’d seen the stadium and they (the fans) were all jumping and clapping behind the net.
“Hopefully there’s more of it this season.”
Longstaff was also sold on a loan spell in the north-east due to Aberdeen boss Glass being a former Newcastle star – playing in the 1999 FA cup final after moving from the Dons to the Magpies – while Newcastle’s Aberdonian winger Ryan Fraser also talked up the Pittodrie outfit.
Longstaff, who has two Premier League goals to his name – including a Goal of the Month he scored against Manchester United, said: “The manager used to play for Newcastle and I’ve heard great stuff about the club and the football they play.
“I spoke to Ryan Fraser, who obviously came through the set-up here, and he just said it was a great club and if you get the chance go and play there.
“I didn’t need much persuading other than that.
“He’s a good lad and a good player as well.”
Longstaff revealed one of his mates back in the north-east of England has already been pestering him for Glass’ autograph.
The midfield dynamo, who could make his debut at home to Ross County in the Premiership on Sunday, says his new gaffer knows the expectation which comes with playing in front of the notoriously demanding Toon Army – and Longstaff expects the demands of the Red Army to be just as high.
With the Dons out of Europe and League Cup, all eyes turn to securing success in the league and then the Scottish Cup later in the campaign, and Longstaff added: “He’s experienced Newcastle, knows what it’s like and I’m really looking forward to working with him and his team.
“What you want as a player is to be playing under pressure and to deal with it.
“At Newcastle there’s an expectancy to play at a high level. I’m expecting the exact same thing at Aberdeen.”
On what he’s looking to achieve in his season with Aberdeen, Longstaff said: “The big thing is making sure we finish as high as possible, play some great stuff and give the fans something to cheer about.”
On his desire to rack up minutes and victories, he added: “Obviously play, but you’ve got to win games when you come here.
“That was the big attractive thing coming here – they expect to win every game and it’s a great mentality to have in the building from a young age. Hopefully I can do that here.
“I’m always here to help the team with my legs in midfield. Hopefully I can get on the ball and help the team.
“Whatever the manager asks I’ll be happy to do. Whether that’s playing a little further back and getting on the ball, or whether it’s breaking into boxes and scoring goals, I’m happy to do either.
“We had a conversation yesterday where he said we always look to dominate the ball, which was a big thing. Like he said, if I can chip in with a few goals it’s going to be great, so I’m looking forward to it.”
One new Aberdeen team-mate who Longstaff knows from his time playing down south is Wolves loan striker Austin Samuels, who signed on at Cormack Park in midweek.
In an assessment of Samuels sure to excite the Dons support, Longstaff said: “I grew up playing against Austin from Wolves. That’s the only one I can really remember (coming up against).
“From what I remember he was always a handful, he wriggles so well round the box and he’s a natural goalscorer – obviously his pace to run in frightens people and he used to always score against us. So I’m looking forward to playing with him.”
Aberdeen boss Glass, who is also reportedly set to bolster his defensive ranks with Hamburg centre-back David Bates in the coming days, said: “For a young player, Matty has already played in a good number of high-profile games for a top club, against some of the biggest teams in England. We believe he is going to continue to make good progress here with us.
“We are pleased he has chosen Aberdeen to help him further his career, particularly as he had other high-profile options in England to consider.
“We’ve no doubt he will have a positive impact and will help us with the rest of our campaign.”
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