Sean Longstaff’s love for another past time away from football could cause concern for Leeds fans, and most notably Daniel Farke.
The 27-year-old joined Leeds this month from Newcastle, who sent him a touching message following his departure.
The boyhood Newcastle fan revealed after arriving at Elland Road that goalkeeper Karl Darlow helped convince him to move, saying he’d heard ‘great things’ about the Yorkshire side.
Longstaff recently played in Leeds’ preseason friendly versus longtime rivals Manchester United, who they’ll encounter again this season in the Premier League.
Given he signed just 17 hours before kick-off, Longstaff did well to even make his debut for Leeds. While there were clear signs of the quality he will bring to the side, Longstaff did look a yard of pace behind in the middle of the park.
That shouldn’t be a surprise given that Longstaff has played such little football over the last year, but there’s another sport that Longstaff enjoys that could cause some concern for Leeds fans.
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Sean Longstaff’s love for cricket could be an issue
Leeds United’s unveiling of Sean Longstaff was teased with an unusual element, a cricket ball.
Something that some fans will have been left perplexed by, wondering if it’s significant.
Turns out, Longstaff is not only an avid football fan, he also loves cricket and can be seen bowling for Tynemouth Cricket Club.
Nigel Martyn, a former Leeds United goalkeeper who now plays club cricket for Knaresborough, told The Athletic what he thought of Longstaff’s bowling and the sacrifice he may have to make.
“Sean has got a good bowling action,” says the former England goalkeeper. “Gets through OK. Now he’s signed for Leeds, there’ll be a host of clubs who would welcome him with open arms, I’m sure. He’s more than welcome to come and play for Knaresborough.”
Although playing cricket alongside football may cause some worry for Leeds fans, the last thing they and the club would want is for him to get injured before the season starts.
Martyn shared his insight that during his seven years at Elland Road after being signed by Howard Wilkinson in the summer of 1996, his contract meant cricket was out of bounds for fear he might get injured.
“I don’t think it would have gone down well to turn up and tell them I had a broken finger or whatever,” he says. “I’d have had to say it happened when doing something else.”
It’s unclear whether Longstaff has been specially told he can no longer play by Leeds or Daniel Farke himself, but the Leeds fans will be hoping Longstaff is sensible.
Sean Longstaff’s injury record and Leeds’ investment
Leeds may be keen for Longstaff to stay away from the cricket pitch and not pick up any unnecessary injuries, given the significant money they’ve spent and the fitness struggles he’s had in the past.
Sean Longstaff’s £12 million move signals Leeds United’s belief in his ability to make a substantial impact at Elland Road. However, a closer look at his injury history reveals a potential area of concern that the club will be keen to manage carefully.
His breakthrough 2018/19 season at Newcastle was unfortunately cut short by a serious knee ligament injury in March 2019, sidelining him for the remainder of that campaign.
Since that major injury, Longstaff has had to contend with other issues, including foot and ankle problems. For instance, he suffered a foot injury in April 2023, which kept him out of action, and an ankle injury in the 2023/24 season also led to him missing games.
It was even reported that he played through a broken foot sustained in April 2024, indicating a willingness to play through pain but also highlighting potential long-term risks if not managed carefully by the club’s medical staff.
Given the substantial investment Leeds have made in Longstaff and their hopes for his influence in the Premier League, keeping him consistently fit will be a top priority for Daniel Farke and the club, which could mean no cricket.
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