The Magpies and their local rivals do battle in the Premier League 2 Division Two at 7pm this evening, with wide-man Longelo hoping to make his home bow.
The 18-year-old linked up with Newcastle after leaving West Ham United earlier this summer, and marked his competitive debut by beginning the move which led to Callum Roberts’ equaliser in the Magpies’ 1-1 draw at West Bromwich Albion a week ago.
Despite finding himself a long way from home, Longelo has had little trouble settling into life in the North East, and he is hungry to announce himself to the Geordie faithful by playing his part in a derby victory.
“I can feel the tension already – the boys have told me how big the game is. It’s at St. James’, and they say they’re expecting a lot of fans, so I can’t wait,” he told nufc.co.uk. “I’ve never played at St. James’, or any big first-team ground, so it’ll be a whole new experience for me.
“Newcastle’s a nice place. It’s a nice city and I’m liking it so far. I was basically on trial for Middlesbrough and played against Newcastle. I thought I did well, and then Newcastle hit on my agent and said they wanted me to come for pre-season. I came up, played in the friendly against Barrow and impressed, and then Ben (Dawson) said he wanted me in the squad and I signed.
“The distance wasn’t an issue at all. When I first signed for West Ham, it was good and I was enjoying my football, but I hit a spell where I wasn’t really enjoying my football. I felt like I needed a change personally so it was the right moment for me to move to a new club.
“The atmosphere here is much better – everyone’s positive and friendlier. I prefer it here. And my mum’s fine with it, which is the main thing. She keeps saying that she wants to visit me every two days, but I just tell her to calm down!”
Having lost a closely-fought play-off final to Longelo’s former employers two seasons ago, the Magpies rarely looked like challenging for a promotion spot last term.
That’s something the youngster is keen to put right this time out – hopeful his own raw pace will come in useful as Ben Dawson’s side look to make their presence felt in the Premier League 2 Division Two.
“I’d describe myself as quick, sharp and flairy, so yeah, defenders better watch out!” he said.
“We’re looking to get promoted. I think we’ve got a very strong team. The players work hard for each other and work hard for the manager. He puts a lot of faith in us, and we have a lot of respect for him, so we’ll try and get promoted for him as well as the club.”
Admission for tonight's game is priced at £3 for adults and £1 for concessions. Sunderland fans are required to purchase a ticket in advance from the Stadium of Light Ticket Office or online.
The game will be shown for free on NUFC TV.
(Photography: Barrow AFC)
