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Kevin Campbell has given his reaction to the news that Newcastle United are now in talks with Sean Longstaff over a new deal.

The Lowdown: Contract talks

As per The Times, the North East club are in talks with Longstaff over a new contract at St. James’ Park, given that his current one on Tyneside expires in the summer.

Eddie Howe and senior figures at the Magpies are ‘eager’ for him to stay for the longer term, at a club that he has been at since he was nine years old.

The local lad has made 20 appearances in all competitions this season, including 90 minutes at Stamford Bridge in the controversial defeat last weekend.

The Latest: Campbell reacts

Speaking to Football Insider, Campbell, who is a pundit for Sky Sports, has since given his reaction to the update, claiming that keeping Longstaff in the squad will be ‘massive’, believing the new deal may have even come as a ‘shock’ to him:

“I think home-grown players are going to be so important for a club like Newcastle.

“To have that player in the squad, and that real connection to the fans with one of their own will be massive.

“He was probably expecting to leave the club at the end of the season – so this may well have come as a bit of a shock to him.

“Eddie Howe has probably had a look at him and decided he could be a useful player to keep around.

“If the vision at Newcastle is as grand as we expect, they’re going to be playing a lot of games. Everyone will get their opportunities.”

The Verdict: Keep

With the new riches at the club’s disposal, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium are likely to dip into the foreign market once more in the summer in order to attract some of the best players abroad to the Premier League, like they did with Bruno Guimaraes in the summer transfer window.

Thus, home-grown players like Longstaff will be important for the culture at the Toon, and also strengthen the connection with the supporters.

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Nonetheless, he is having a fine season so far, ranking highly among his teammates in terms of average tackles and pass completion per game in the top flight, while he has also chipped in with a goal and an assist (WhoScored).

Longstaff gives Howe a solid option in the middle of the park, and so there is no reason to let him go this summer.

In other news, find out what big NUFC update this injury expert has now revealed here!

	Mathew Inness burst back into Pura Cup cricket this season with Western Australia after struggling to earn a place for a couple of years © Getty Images

Mathew Inness has joined the growing band of state cricketers to end their careers as he departs in the same match as his Western Australia team-mate Justin Langer. However Inness, a left-arm fast bowler, is staying involved with the Warriors and will become their new strength and conditioning co-ordinator.Inness moved to Western Australia ahead of 2005-06 and although he struggled to hold down a place in their team for two seasons he became an important part of the attack this summer. Prior to his final game, against Tasmania in Perth, Inness was second on the state’s wicket tally for the season with 33 victims at 21.18 including three five-wicket hauls.”It has been satisfying to work my way back into a regular spot in the Warriors’ Pura Cup team, play well and prove to myself that I could still perform at this level,” Inness said. “I’m pleased to have the opportunity to retire on my own terms, and going straight into my new role will make the transition to life after playing a lot smoother.”Most of his first-class career was spent with Victoria, where he burst onto the scene at the age of 19 in 1997-98. In his debut game against New South Wales he claimed the wickets of three international players, including Michael Slater for a duck.The following season he was Victoria’s third top wicket-taker despite playing only half the matches and in 1999-2000 he grabbed a hat-trick against New South Wales. That summer he collected 31 wickets and 43 followed in the next campaign before injuries began to take their toll.He also suffered a bout of glandular fever in 2003-04, the same season he was overlooked for the Pura Cup final, and he asked to be released from the Bushrangers. They declined, retaining him for 2004-05, although he could not rediscover his top form and a move to Perth loomed as his best chance of continuing his state career.His departure at the age of 30 is surprising given his return to regular Pura Cup action, however he leaves the Warriors in good hands with Steve Magoffin, Ben Edmondson and Brett Dorey still a potent pace attack. Before his last match Inness had appeared in 80 first-class games and had 274 wickets at 26.04.This season has proved to be a summer of change in the Australian domestic ranks with the retirements of Inness, Langer, Jason Gillespie, Darren Lehmann, Matthew Elliott, Jimmy Maher, Michael Kasprowicz, Matthew Nicholson and Michael Di Venuto, along with the international players Adam Gilchrist and Brad Hogg.

Shane Watson’s batting is fine, but he has to improve his bowling to be a true allrounder © Getty Images

Sir Garry Sobers has given Shane Watson a World Cup boost by recognising his talent and saying he will improve as he matures. Watson spent much of the home summer being criticised – hamstring problems ruled him out of the Ashes and most of the one-day campaign – and he was shocked to learn of Sobers’ rating.”I was surprised someone of his stature even knows I exist,” Watson said in the Courier-Mail. “It’s flattering, particularly after some of the things some people have said about me this year.”The allrounder Sobers, who was one of Wisden’s five Cricketers of the Century, praised Watson in St Kitts during a meeting with Herschelle Gibbs to recognise his six sixes in an over. “He’s useful,” Sobers said of Watson. “I like him and I think he will improve. To be a great allrounder, you must be able to be chosen in a side on both skills.”Shane is not there yet. He is a batsman who bowls. He would have to improve his bowling, but he has talent.”Another aspect Watson has been working hard on is his body language and Sobers said it was an important part of the game as long as it was natural. “You should always try to keep up that bravery and that smile,” he said in the Sydney Morning Herald. “Whatever [your] body language, it should come naturally.”It shouldn’t be something that you put on, like all the antics you see today on the cricket field. I walked the same way off the field, I walked the same way down the street. That was just my natural walk and a lot of people copied it.”Watson said he was aware of keeping a stable outlook. “That’s the most important thing,” he said. “I know when I am at my best I am aggressive and confident, and I am keeping my body language consistent. It has been a big part of my improvement over the last year.”Sobers also backed Australia’s on-field behaviour after they had been criticised by Sunil Gavaskar. “Australia has always played cricket like the West Indians,” Sobers said in The Australian. “I always enjoyed playing in Australia because the Australians are a team that tried to play the game attractive, tried to win – not at all costs – but tried to win. That is a great attitude to have. You learn when you play Australia, there is a toughness about the Australians.”

The slam-bang format has yet to take off in India © Getty Images

Despite a lukewarm reception on its debut eight years ago, Sunil Gavaskar supports the idea of cricket returning to the Commonwealth Games in Delhi in 2010.Cricket has not made a return to the Games since 1998 when it was deemed a relative non-starter due to the fact that the participating countries sent sub-par teams. England even declined to send a team because the Games clashed with the close of the county season.Gavaskar recognised the fact that the experiment had hit a roadblock the first time around but was hopeful of another introduction given that the next Games would be hosted in India. “As a cricketer, I’d love the exposure it’d give our game, getting cricket in would be a boost,” Gavaskar has been reported as saying to BBC Sport. “The experience of 1998 wasn’t a very good one – one major cricket-playing country decided to stay away and others sent second-string sides. Having cricket in the Commonwealth Games will be great, but if countries are not going to field full-strength sides it’s better it doesn’t come in.”There has been considerable debate over the length of cricket to be played at the Games. The organisers of the event have preferred a 50-over format while the ICC has pushed for a Twenty20 competition. The Indian board has not been in favour of a 20-over tournament either – the reduced one-day game has yet to take off in India – and the Indian Olympic Association has maintained that the responsibility of promoting the cause of cricket at the Games is with the board.Earlier this month, Michael Fennell, the Commonwealth Games Federation president, said he was keen on including the sport in four years’ time. “We’ve always wanted cricket in the Games because it is an important sport across the Commonwealth,” he said. “It hasn’t been back because the world cricket programme is so packed but we hope that will change.”

Derbyshire, who struggled on the pitch in 2004, did badly off it too, announcing a deficit for the year of £82,989.They cited the costs of their new £4million Gateway sports centre and an early exit from the C&G Trophy as the main reasons, and also pointed out that all their floodlit matches and Twenty20 games were affected by bad weather, which reduced the crowds.Tom Sears, Derbyshire’s new chief executive, commented: “The results are very disappointing, and we have a number of areas to address. With a decrease in the funding we will receive from the England & Wales Cricket Board in 2005, it looks like this year will again be difficult financially. Having said that, I am very confident we are putting into place a structure that will allow us to increase our own revenue generation which will stand us in good stead going forward.”

Being dismissed for eight on a slow track against a relatively weak bowling attack cannot happen too often to Sachin Tendulkar. The briefness of his stay at the wicket yesterday must have irked him. So this morning, while Rahul Dravid batted away, Tendulkar went to anoutside net and went back to the basics. Three bowlers – whose ages could not have totalled more than 36 – lined up to first bowl a series of off breaks to him. Then, off a shortened run-up, they pitched the ball on and outside the off stump consistently. Anshuman Gaekwad,strolling around the ground’s premises, came across the solo practice session, and a few words of advice were duly imparted. Tendulkar may not have to bat again at Ahmedabad, but it appears that he already has Mohali in mind.________________________The roar that greeted Parthiv Patel upon his entry was as vociferous as the one that greeted Sachin Tendulkar the day before; like Tendulkar, Parthiv too sneaked a quick look upwards as he crossed the boundary ropes. Perhaps influenced by the enormous hometown support, Parthiv was in attacking vein, even standing, like David in front of Goliath, up to Daryl Tuffey during one particularly heated moment. But as far as the crowd was concerned, it was all good. Sourav Ganguly too had words of praise for Patel. “That’s why I say that it is important to have a wicketkeeper who can bat, and if Parthiv can do this consistently, it will only be good for India.” Ganguly did refuse to answer further, however, when asked for the fourth successive time, “But can you say something else about Parthiv’s innings?” by a member of the Ahmedabad press cadre.________________________The Visitor of the Day to the press box was SK Nair, BCCI secretary. Unlike Raj Singh Dungarpur the day before, Nair spoke only in polite diplomatese. The BCCI, he said, will be discussing the issue of graded contracts with the Indian players after the Mohali Test. When asked how the Board would arrive at the final lists, Nair said: “There is a system for that, and that will be revealed in due course.”

Test discarded Saleem Elahi will lead the defendingchampions Lahore Blues in the Quaid-i-Azam Cricket TrophyGrade-I Tournament starting from Jan 2.Another former Test cricketer Aamir Malik was named as thecaptain of the Lahore Whites team.Lahore Blues and Whites will play their opening matchagainst each other at the LCCA ground from Jan 2.Besides Saleem Elahi, the Lahore Blues has the services ofother Test cricketers including Imran Farhat, Humayun Farhatand Mohammad Hussain. The international Irfan Fazil is alsoincluded in the team.The teams were announced after holding three-day trials atthe LCCA ground from Dec 20 to 22.The LCCA president Aamir Hayat Rokari as chairman of theselection committee with two members Ameer Akbar and PervezShah selected the teams.The teams are:Lahore Blues: Saleem Elahi (captain), Bazid Khan(vice captain), Imran Farhat, Sohail Idrees, ShahnawazMalik, Amjad Ali, Zia-ur-Rehman, Imran Nazir Junior, SaleemShahzad, Mustaqeem, Humayun Farhat (wicketkeeper), Ali Raza(wicketkeeper), Mohammad Husain, Kashif Shafi, MudassarMehboob, Irfan Fazil, Waqas Ahmad, Mohammad Khalil, HasnainKazim, Saqib Maqsood, Amjad Minhas, Hafiz Bilal, RizwanArshad, Hafiz Yawar, Naeem Rao. Reserves: Raza Ali Dar,Irfan Haider, Yasar Hashmi, Yaseen Butt, Kamran Khalil.Manager: Mirza Azmat Beg. Coach: Hafeez-ur-Rehman.Lahore Whites: Aamir Malik (captain), Tariq Mehmood(vicecaptain), Shahid Anwar, Faisal Mehmood, KashifSiddiq, Rizwan Aslam, Adnan Butt, Tariq Rasheed, AamirSajjad, Ghayur Abbas, Intikhab Alam, Musahraf Ali, KamranAkmal (wicketkeeper), Zulqarnain (wicketkeeper), Sajid Ali,Adnan Naeem, Wahab Riaz, Ahmad Khan, Fahad Masood, MohammadAsif, Farhan Rasheed, Shahid Mehmood, Irfan Sohail, NaeemKhan, Faiz Rasool. Reserves: Shahid Ali Khan, Aamir Maqbool,Bilal Muqeet, Suleman Khan, Adnan Usman Khan.Manager: Nasir Alam. Coach: Tariq Cheema.

Port-Of-Spain – After two days of the first Test they have ever playedagainst the only opponents they can justifiably claim to rank belowthem at present in the world game, the West Indies are in familiarstrife.Their always unreliable batting, minus its only proven world-classmember, once more let them down, falling to spirited Zimbabwe bowlingfor 187 half-hour after lunch on the second day of the inaugural matchat the Queen’s Park Oval.As they have done countless times over the years, the indomitableveterans, Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh, then energised the 11West Indians on the field and the couple of thousand in the standswith three quick wickets.But an unlucky umpiring break and an obdurate, unbroken partnership of82 between the left-handed captain, Andy Flower, and the right-handedTrevor Gripper defied them for the remaining 3-1/4 hours of the dayand carried Zimbabwe through to 109 without further loss at the close.Ambrose struck with his first ball, an on-target, perfect-lengthdelivery that struck left-hander Neil Johnson’s pad in front of middleand leg-stump for umpire George Sharp’s straightforward decision.At the opposite end, Walsh clipped right-hander Grant Flower’stentative outside-edge for a lap-high catch to Sherwin Campbell atsecond slip so that both openers had been despatched without a runscored.When the dangerous Murray Goodwin’s forcing backfoot stroke off Walshdeflected a catch to Chris Gayle ten minutes to tea, Zimbabwe were 27for three and the West Indies could sense disintegration.First ball after the interval they endured the kind of bad luck notuncommon in any cricket match but always hard to take, especially whenthings develop as they did. Flower was yet to score when Walsh’schest-high lifter passed him down the leg-side and brought a roaredclaim for a wicket-keeper’s catch that would have carried the durableJamaican to within seven of passing Kapil Dev’s elusive Test record of436 wickets.For once, umpire Steve Bucknor failed to detect the deflection off theglove that was clear on the close-up, slow-motion television replayand Flower proceeded to bat with the assurance that has brought him anaverage of 44.48 in the 39 consecutive Tests he and his country haveplayed since their accession to such status in 1992.He was not flawless. There were a few uncertain edges and a couple ofaerial strokes that just eluded off-side fielders.But the only one that went to hand, off Walsh when 38, ankle-high andto the left of third slip, could not be grasped by Ricardo Powell,temporarily on the field for Ambrose.Flower raised the first half-century of the match just before poorlight ended the day seven overs early when he was 52.The adhesive Gripper, justifying his surname, was unbeaten on 31 afterfour hours and 166 balls of chanceless defence.The West Indies bowling looked threadbare once Ambrose and Walsh wereresting in the outfield. Franklyn Rose took a few overs to find hisline and was the best of the others, but Reon King was all over theplace and Chris Gayle’s steady but uncomplicated off-spin troubledneither batsman.Unless the veterans strike early again, another long hard day seems tolie ahead.Zimbabwe had imposed themselves on a West Indies team lacking bothBrian Lara and self-belief in equal measure from the time Heath Streakdismissed Adrian Griffith with the third ball of the match andcontinued to do so from the start yesterday.As he did on Thursday, Streak struck in the first over, removingnightwatchman Curtly Ambrose to a wicket-keeper’s catch with his sixthball.It was an immediate setback that induced the sense of insecurity thathad characterised the West Indies batting on the first day and theynever seemed likely to recover.Their only encouragement was the batting of Wavell Hinds, the23-year-old left-hander in his debut Test who played with the samematurity and level-headedness of the other newcomer, his fellowJamaican, Chris Gayle, on the first day.Left strandedHe arrived when Sherwin Campbell was Streak’s second victim, lbwdefending from the crease, 20 minutes into the day, after a tortured24 that occupied 3-3/4 hours and 129 balls.Hinds was left stranded on 46 when his spirited last-wicketpartnership of 26 with Walsh was finally ended half-hour after lunchby the new leg-spinner Brian Murphy.For a while, the new captain, Jimmy Adams, promised to put together astand with Hinds, but when Zimbabwe turned to Murphy, the declinecontinued.Murphy, a 23-year-old student at the University of Cape Town who hasexperience in South Africa with Western Province, was drafted into theteam once it was known that Paul Strang’s shoulder injury had nothealed sufficiently to allow him to return to Test cricket.He won umpire Sharp’s approval of an lbw claim against Adams, playingwell forward to a top-spinner, and then hauled in a sharp, two-handedreturn catch to remove wicket-keeper Ridley Jacobs, the last of theseven left-handers in the West Indies order.Left with only the fast bowlers, Hinds opened out with some meatyboundaries.Rose and King did not keep him company for long, but Walsh, Testcricket’s most prolific duck-maker, matched him with a couple ofthumping boundaries down the ground.But it was much too little, much too late.

Everton are reportedly interested in signing Liverpool centre-back Joe Gomez this summer, along with a number of other Premier League clubs.

The Lowdown: Gomez struggles for minutes at Anfield

There was a time when the 24-year-old was Virgil van Dijk’s first-choice centre-back partner, but that has become a thing of the past this season.

Gomez has been limited to just one Premier League start for the Reds in the current campaign after a long injury layoff, with Joel Matip and Ibrahima Konate invariably preferred to him.

It could be that the defender sees his future elsewhere in order to earn regular playing time, and a new update certainly suggests as much.

The Latest: Everton keen on move for Gomez

Writing for Anfield Watch, journalist Graeme Bailey claimed that Everton are one of the clubs eyeing up a move for Gomez, in a transfer which would send shockwaves across Merseyside.

Tottenham, Newcastle, West Ham and Fulham are also mentioned as potential suitors, with the Liverpool defender worried that he will miss out on England’s 2022 World Cup squad if he stays put.

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The Verdict: Surely he wouldn’t?

While it is becoming increasingly understandable why Gomez wants to leave Liverpool, it would be a huge surprise if he traded the Reds for neighbours and rivals Everton.

Abel Xavier was the last player to do the deed back in 2002, going the other way across Stanley Park, and it would be a decision which would likely hamper the 24-year-old’s legacy in red, so it is hard to see it happening.

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The hope is that he remains at Liverpool, having been lauded as ‘sensational’ by Jurgen Klopp, with time still very much on his side and his pedigree undeniable (135 Reds appearances and five trophies). It would be hard to begrudge him a move if that’s what he wants, though.

In other news, Liverpool are reportedly eyeing up a move for one Premier League star. Read more here.

Wellington kept their hopes of reaching Sunday’s semi-finals alive with a 21-run victory over Central Districts in Palmerston North. Stephen Fleming’s 45 was one of many useful contributions from the Wellington batsmen, who were led by Neal Parlane’s attacking 65, which included seven fours and two sixes, as they posted 274 for 8. After being boosted by Ewen Thompson’s 5 for 45, the home side’s chase began well as they reached 89 for 1, but they lost three quick wickets before Mathew Sinclair (69) regained control with Bevan Griggs (74). However, they were unable to keep up with the required rate and were dismissed in the 48th over, with Iain O’Brien capturing 4 for 44 and Jeetan Patel closing out the game with 4 for 47. The result left Wellington in third on 19 points while their opponents have 18 with one round of group matches remaining.Auckland will finish top of the State Shield table and have a home final even if they lose to Central Districts on Wednesday after a tight five-run win over Northern Districts in Hamilton. The match was reduced to 49 overs and Auckland’s total of 278 for 7 relied on contributions of 77 from Richard Jones and 72 from Scott Styris, who warmed up for the important fourth ODI against England on Wednesday. Andrew Strauss put Northern Districts in a strong position with 106 from 127 balls and when he left Peter McGlashan took over, blasting 62 off 26, including five sixes. It was not enough and the home side, which is last, narrowly missed out on staying in the race for the finals.Rain in the lead-up to the game ruined the clash between Canterbury and Otago in Christchurch. The conditions were fine, but the ground was not fit for play due to the wet weather over the previous week. Both teams earned a couple of points, with Canterbury in second on 21 while Otago are tied on 18 with Central Districts.

Team	Mat	Won	Lost	Tied	N/R	Pts	Net RR	For	Against
Auckland	9	7	2	0	0	29	+0.377	2286/420.3	2217/438.1
Canterbury	9	4	4	0	1	20	-0.017	1882/375.4	1917/381.2
Wellington	9	4	4	0	1	19	-0.256	1872/379.5	1900/366.3
Central Dist	9	4	5	0	0	18	+0.040	2079/412.2	2130/425.5
Otago	9	4	4	0	1	18	+0.009	1913/384.3	1825/367.3
Northern Dis	9	2	6	0	1	10	-0.196	2071/399.0	2114/392.3