Newcastle
£10m Newcastle star makes Carabao Cup statement of intent after Man Utd heartbreak
Newcastle United goalkeeper Nick Pope is desperate to end the club’s long wait for silverware this season
Newcastle United goalkeeper Nick Pope has been a key asset for Eddie Howe’s side since his £10m arrival from Burnley in the summer of 2022.
In his first full season, Pope notably helped Newcastle secure Champions League qualification for the first time in two decades while also boasting the best defensive record in a top-flight season of any Magpies goalkeeper since the Division One title winning campaign of 1904/05.
The England international helped Newcastle reach their first major cup final of the century in 2023 and notably produced a hat-trick of saves in a penalty shoot-out against Crystal Palace in the third round before victories over Bournemouth, Leicester City and Southampton.
Newcastle would be defeated 2-0 by the Red Devils on that occasion with Loris Karius in goal and would ultimately miss the chance to end their long wait for a major trophy. Not since their FA Cup triumph in 1955 have the Magpies lifted a major domestic honour with this season’s Carabao Cup providing one of their only opportunities to stop that wait from going past the 70-year mark.
After yet another penalty shoot-out win over Nottingham Forest in the second round of this season’s competition, Newcastle are now preparing for a home match against League Two AFC Wimbledon.
Victory in that match would leave the Magpies with a home tie against 2024 finalists Chelsea and would put them just 90 minutes away from potentially another quarter-final.
For Pope, tonight’s match offers the team a chance to take a step closer to history and he claims that is all the motivation he and the team need.
Speaking to our sister title the Shields Gazette, he said: “I would like to go one step further [in the Carabao Cup]. Of course it’s motivation, for sure. Motivated on a personal level and the club, as players, we want to be the group that breaks the years without a trophy.”
Pope continued: “The motivation is there for us. We know it has been a long time. The fans give us a hell of a lot both home and away and we know how much it means to them. We want to be that group.”
Wimbledon pulled off a huge upset to defeat Premier League Ipswich Town in the last round and are keen to record yet another scalp this time around.
“Wimbledon are going to be highly motivated and that’s the next step in that competition that we all want to do well in. They are a team with rich history and giant killings themselves. Every team we play against are going to be different than Man City but it’s going to be a test for us and important for us to get to the next round.” Pope added.
