When it came time to choose a career path, Sean Longstaff was opting to take the advice of his father David. Even though David Longstaff was an England legend in his chosen sport, he was encouraging his son to follow the most traditional sporting path of an English athlete. He told his sons to pursue soccer.
On the surface, it makes sense. While you most certainly can choose to wager on longshots at betting websites, the fact of the matter is that they rarely come in and pay out as winners. Safer plays are more likely to be winning plays.
So it was that even though David Longstaff was a superstar of English ice hockey, his sons Sean and Matty wound up joining the youth team of Newcastle United, a prominent club in the English Premier League, considered the top soccer league on the planet.
Both are making their mark in professional soccer, while their dad continues to maintain a prominent presence in ice hockey in the United Kingdom.
David Longstaff An English Ice Hockey Icon
David Longstaff’s career in British ice hockey as a player extended from 1989-2020. Even though his cousin was Newcastle United player and English international soccer star Alan Thompson, Longstaff took to the ice. At 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds, he was certainly in possession of the required physique to become an ice hockey star. And that’s exactly what he did.
Longstaff was a gritty, physical right winger. After scoring 33 goals and 57 points in 11 games for Whitley in the English U16 league, Longstaff made his full senior debut for the Whitley Warriors during the 1989-90 season, scoring three goals in six games at the age of 15.
A dominant performer, Longstaff netted a career-high 42 goals for Whitley in 1993-94. The following season, he would establish personal bests for assists (74) and points (110).
Longstaff would also play for the Newcastle Warriors, Sheffield Steelers, Manchester Storm, Newcastle Vipers and Guildford Flames. He even served a one-season stint with Djurgardens IF of the Swedish Elitserien in 2001-02, one of Europe’s top hockey leagues and spent time with Sierre of the Swiss League.
Internationally, all UK ice hockey players take a back seat to Longstaff in terms of accomplishments. He played for Great Britain in several world championship tournaments and in two Olympic Games qualifiers. On November 10, 2013, in an Olympic qualifier against Romania, Longstaff – playfully known as Lobby – would become the first ice hockey player to be capped 100 times by Great Britain. He served as captain of the GB side.
He finished his playing career with Whitley at the age of 45. Today, Longstaff, 49, coaches the Whitley squad.
In 2022, Longstaff was inducted into the UK Ice Hockey Hall of Fame. “David Longstaff (is) one of our most talented home-grown players,” Hall of Fame committee member Stewart Roberts said upon Longstaff’s enshrinement.
Father Knows Best
As a youngster, Sean Longstaff was a self-admitted rink rat. He’d tag along with his dad to hockey practice and games.
“That was my first taste of a team environment; how to act around a dressing room,” Sean told fourfourtwo.com. “He’s been my biggest influence and he’s the person I’m always trying to impress – even more than the manager, sometimes,” Sean added in reference to his famous dad.
It was David Longstaff, though, who would gently nudge his sons away from the ice hockey rink and toward the soccer pitch.
“My dad probably pushed me down that [football] alley,” Sean admitted. “I thank him, because it’s worked out. I really enjoyed when he was coaching ice hockey at Whitley Bay. I’d go down there all the time and jump on the ice.
“Being from Newcastle, it’s football first and foremost, but we went to ice hockey training a lot. You soon work out which one you’re better at. It sounds bad, but there’s loads more money to be made in England playing football.”
Sean Making His Mark At Newcastle
It would be incorrect to suggest that Sean was an instant hit with Newcastle United. There was a loan spell with Kilmarnock in Scotland, but it wasn’t until a second loan to Blackpool of English League One in 2017-18 when he finally found his form. Longstaff scored nine goals in 45 matches.
Longstaff made his full senior debut for Newcastle in 2018. He’s played 141 EPL matches for the club, scoring eight goals. And every once in a while, the ice hockey in his veins will come out and Longstaff will throw a hard shoulder check into an enemy attacker.
Eyes On Canada
He may not have followed his father’s footsteps and become an ice hockey player, but Sean is planning to one day follow his brother’s footsteps and play soccer in the homeland of hockey.
Matty Longstaff, 23, a midfielder, never made the grade at Newcastle. Although he scored the winner against Manchester United in his debut, Matty wound up playing only 14 EPL matches for the club. But he’s found a career in MLS with FC Toronto. He went there on a trial in 2024 and has since earned a long-term contract. FC Toronto coach John Herdman is from nearby Consett, about 16 miles from Newcastle.
“His Premier League experience and dynamic playing style is adding depth to our midfield and complements our tactical blueprint,” Herdman said of Matty.
Sean’s career blueprint sees him joining his sibling in Canada someday.
“Just so you know, I want to play for Toronto before I retire – two, three years in Toronto please,” Sean said. “In an ideal world, that’s how it’ll end. That’s where I want to retire, so maybe that could happen, but hopefully I’ve got plenty of years left in me here.”
