AFTER the highs of Sunday’s spirited victory over Manchester United that was secured by his brother’s match-winning goal, Sean Longstaff has described how Newcastle United’s players are uniting to build on the success.

It has been an indifferent start to life under Steve Bruce at James’ Park, with impressive wins over the Red Devils and Tottenham spoiled by other more depressing displays against the likes of Leicester City and Brighton.

There is no disputing how the second of those wins has given Newcastle a lift going into the international break, having seen pressure increase following the 5-0 thumping at Leicester a week earlier.

Beating Manchester United, courtesy of Matty Longstaff’s emotional winner, breathed new life into St James’ Park, where there has been so much frustration since Rafa Benitez’s departure in June.

It has been impossible for Sean Longstaff, locally produced and a boyhood Newcastle fan like his brother, to ignore everything said since Bruce’s appointment.

And the highly-rated midfielder thinks the squad has shown how capable it is to concentrate on delivering the results to climb up the Premier League.

“It has been turbulent so far but the win on Sunday gives us a platform to go on,” said Longstaff. “Within the group and within the club we’ve stayed very level.

“Obviously there’s been two great results in Tottenham and Man United and there’s been a couple of disappointing ones but you’ve got to stay level headed.

“There’s going to be some good times and some difficult times and it’s about ignoring, as bad it sounds, everything that’s around the club and just sticking together.

“We know the only people who can change anything are within the football club and as long as we’re all reading off the same script and fighting for each other we’ll be alright.”

Sean Longstaff was hugely effective in the middle against Manchester United, creating the space at times for Matty, while linking well to cause the visitors problems.

It was a bold move from Bruce to pair the two brothers in the centre of Newcastle’s midfield even though he had the likes of Jonjo Shelvey and Ki Sung-yeung available.

The head coach’s decision was justified with the performances, collectively and as individuals, and it would be a major surprise if they were not asked to play together at Chelsea on Saturday week.

Allan Saint-Maximim and Ciaran Clark were also impressive on their returns to the side against Manchester United, and skipper Jamaal Lascelles was delighted with the approach after Bruce’s bold decisions.

Lascelles said: “The manager made a few changes; we know how hard a job it is for a manager to drop players and put players on the bench, but he’s put Matty Longstaff in there, added Ciaran to the team and obviously Allan (Saint-Maximin) was back in the team, so a few new faces who haven’t really featured this season and they did a great job.

“It was a fantastic debut for Matty - you couldn’t write it - and I was pleased for him and his brother that they were playing together. All over the team, we were enthusiastic, energetic, in their faces. We’ve set our standard now and that’s how we always need to play. Nothing less.”

Newcastle will be heading to Stamford Bridge that day without winger Matt Ritchie, who has had set-back in his recovering from ankle trouble.

It has emerged the 30-year-old, whose strong running and intensity in his play has been missed,, has had to undergo minor surgery on the issue in a bid to get it healing quicker.