- Kieran Trippier throws Newcastle United leaving party
- Leeds United star rushes up after Crystal Palace win
- Sean Longstaff reunites with teammates
Leeds United star Sean Longstaff hot-footed it back up to the North East following his side’s 1-0 win over Brighton on Sunday afternoon to reunite with former Newcastle United colleagues.
It was a triumphant weekend for both the Whites and the Magpies as the sides played their last home fixtures of the campaign. Newcastle beat West Ham 3-1 to finish an underwhelming season on a high, while Daniel Farke’s side continued an impressive 2026 with a 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace.
It’s been quite the turnaround of form in Yorkshire with Leeds United now well clear of relegation going into what had been expected to be a crunch match at West Ham this weekend.
Sean Longstaff returns to Newcastle for Kieran Trippier party
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That alleviating of pressure may have helped Longstaff in his desire to rush off back to Tyneside following the win at Elland Road on Sunday, so as not to miss out on the farewell party thrown by Kieran Trippier.
The Newcastle full-back will leave the club as a free agent this summer, and exits as a club legend. Trippier chose to join a relegation-threatened Magpies side from European titans Atletico Madrid in 2022 and has gone on to help the side win the Carabao Cup and to two Champions League campaigns.
Speaking about his exit after the West Ham win, the player said: “I’m devastated to be leaving, but this is football. Players come and go.
“It is an amazing stadium with amazing supporters, amazing people in the city. I’ve never felt emotional like this when leaving a club; this is the longest I’ve ever been at a club.”
Trippier enjoyed a send-off party in the Toon on Sunday night. Images shared on social media showed teammates Malick Thiaw, Mark Gillespie and Harvey Barnes all in attendance, with music from pop star James Bay.
Longstaff was also in the photos, which prompted a positive and somewhat nostalgic reaction from Magpies fans. A product of the Newcastle academy, the midfielder racked up 214 appearances for the club but was sold to Leeds United for £12 million last summer.
Sean Longstaff enjoys successful first season at Leeds United
This season, Longstaff has made 28 appearances under Daniel Farke across all competitions with three goals and two assists. He was handed 30 minutes from the bench against Crystal Palace on Sunday.
Speaking about his transfer last summer, the former Magpies man had compared the project at Leeds United to the takeover on Tyneside in 2021.
He told The Athletic: “It was the whole thing, really. From saying it’s so similar to Newcastle in terms of it’s a one-club city, the fanbases are so passionate, but it’s also what they’re building and then how good the squad is already — hopefully what they can add to it.
“I’ve seen the videos of the (post-promotion) parade, and the plan for a new stadium. I got a lot of similar feelings to when Newcastle got taken over (in 2021). Sometimes the best time to be at a club is at the start of it all, and you can build with it, you can see the progress and hopefully all the little wins along the way.”
In other news, Newcastle United stars just avoided a Bowyer-Dyer situation after West Ham win.
