This is excellent from Alan Shearer – Speaks out ahead of Wembley | OneFootball

Alan Shearer will be just one of tens of thousands of Newcastle United fans inside Wembley on Sunday.

United taking on Liverpool to try and bring silverware back to Tyneside.

As Alan Shearer says, it has been far too long.

The Newcastle United legend was born in 1970, a year after the last trophy was won and fifteen years after that most recent FA Cup victory in 1955.

Alan Shearer declaring; “Give it your best lads – and bring it back to Newcastle”, I couldn’t have put it better myself.

Alan Shearer talking to BBC Sport ahead the Carabao Cup Final:

‘The wait for a major trophy for Newcastle United has been ridiculously long.

The last trophy for the club was in 1969, the old Fairs Cup, but the 1955 FA Cup was the last domestic success.

It is incredible for a club the size of Newcastle not to have won one since.

It is hard to take but it will happen one day – and hopefully Sunday will be that day.

The place will take off. I was part of the losing teams in the 1998 and 1999 FA Cup finals and we had to do a parade after the 1998 one, which was incredibly embarrassing. But even though we had lost, hundreds of thousands of Geordies still came out to line the streets.

Can you imagine what it would be like if Newcastle were to win this Carabao Cup final? The reaction from the Geordie public would be like nothing I have ever witnessed.

I know I am biased but if any set of fans deserves a trophy it is the Newcastle supporters because of their passion, their loyalty and how they have stuck by the team over the years.’

Football is our life

‘Football is their life in Newcastle. You see nanas and grandads, mums, dads, girls, boys – whoever it is – walking around with their black-and-white tops on.

It is a working-class city, people are down to earth, and football means everything. They will be at Wembley in their thousands and everyone will be at home watching and praying.

I can only tell you how captaining Newcastle on a losing side in a final felt – and it hurt.

I can only imagine what it would be like for Bruno Guimaraes to lift the trophy. He would never forget the moment for the rest of his life.

The journey getting to a cup final is brilliant. You have to understand what it means to get there, but Wembley is only a place for winners. It is a horrible place when you have to walk off that pitch and you haven’t won.

Newcastle sampled it a couple of years ago in this competition when they lost to Manchester United, so they have felt that hurt and won’t want it again.’

Change in behaviour

‘I have noticed a difference in their behaviour towards this final from the club and the team.

Two years ago it was “wow we are at Wembley and this is an amazing thing”. But on this occasion they have tried to normalise it as much as possible. Everything they have been doing has been as normal as possible – and two years ago that wasn’t the case.

I will be as nervous as any supporter. I am desperate, for me and my family, to win this, and for this club to win something in my lifetime.

I have been part of it as a fan, as a player, and I am going as a fan again on Sunday – and I will party as good as anyone if we win it.

I spoke to the players two years ago before their Wembley trip and that didn’t work, so I wont be giving any advice this time.’

Lady luck

‘It is not just about turning up to win it – you also need a little bit of luck in finals, so let’s hope lady luck is shining on Newcastle.

You can win or lose a game before you even walk out, I really believe that.

While Newcastle have tried to keep things as normal as possible this week that wasn’t the case in 2023 – maybe because of the pressure, or maybe because of people like me talking about it being 70 years without a domestic trophy.

It really is difficult to get away from that, but maybe it is the right choice to normalise things.

That said, winning on Sunday would change everything for Newcastle. Eddie Howe could choose where he wants his statue.

There have been so many great managers down the years who have tried to win a trophy at the club and not managed it.

I still speak to Bob Moncur, the last captain to lift a trophy back in 1969, and ending that long wait would be such a special thing.

No one would ever be able to take that away from this group of players and coaching staff.