It'd be alarming from Rice's perspective if after 18 months in the Premier League he'd been surpassed by a player whose first start at this level occurred on 12 January - a player for whom, at that juncture, I doubt the most rabid Newcastle fan would have made lofty claims.
That anyone would think to make such a comparison is a great compliment to Longstaff's rapid ascent. Hopefully the sequel won't be a rapid decline. After all, right now he's working with a proper football manager. Next season, alas, I may presume he'll be at the tender mercies of a desperate, Ashley-appointed skivvy.
If anything, yesterday Longstaff arguably shouldn't have been required to start a third game in eight days. But with Shelvey injured, it was either Longstaff, Diame, who hasn't started a game in two months, and whose general form has been typically erratic, and Ki, likewise a rusty returnee from injury.
Indeed, it was another game to emphasise NUFC's overall lack of depth. But a newspaper story today suggests Ashley is ready to buckle down his demands for a cheap, cheerful glorified under-25 team next season. So it continues to be likeliest any change will be for the worse.