Newcastle midfielder Sean Longstaff has revealed he was desperate to join Steven Gerrard at Rangers before he was given his shot at St James' Park.

The 22-year-old was brought in to then-manager Rafa Benitez's office where the Spaniard told him of interest from Gerrard in taking him to Ibrox on loan.

But when he told his boss he was willing to jump at the opportunity, Benitez opted to keep him in the English Premier League and he was handed his first-team debut shortly after. "To be honest, I had been training since the start of the year and I was just champing at the bit really to play," he told NUFC TV.

READ MORE: Newcastle goal hero Matty Longstaff pictured in Celtic jersey throwback after Manchester United winner

"Rafa took me into his office and I remember he said Gerrard wanted to take me to Rangers and I sort of had my heart set on that a little bit. I was like, 'I want to go! I want to go!' and he was like, 'No, you can't go. You've got to wait another week or so'.

"Then he just pulled me before Chelsea and said, 'You're going to get a chance'. I was over the moon - it was the opportunity I wanted since I was a little kid - and I said to myself at the time, 'This is what you've asked for. It's up to you to take it now'."

Longstaff and brother Matty have both become regulars in Steve Bruce's first-team this season. The pair already have an affinity with one half of the Glasgow giants - given that Celtic hero Alan Thompson is their uncle.

And Matty has since been pictured as a youngster wearing the Hoops.