The sound of the Champions League music ringing out excites supporters around the world, so imagine what it must be like to hear it from on the field!
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Magpies back in the big time after 20-year absenceHanded the toughest of group stage drawsLoving every minute of time among Europe's eliteWHAT HAS HAPPENED?
Newcastle United are getting a taste of what that is like in 2023-24, with the Magpies returning to elite European competition for the first time in 20 years. Unsurprisingly, there have been plenty of smiles on show while gracing the most prestigious of sporting stages, with a video of Jacob Murphy taking everything in ahead of a meeting with AC Milan on Matchday One going viral – as he looked like a child on Christmas Day.
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Speaking in association with , Murphy told GOAL when asked what was going through his head as the famous anthem echoed around the iconic San Siro: “It was taking in the whole experience. I was surprised at how quickly the music came on! We stand in the line and then the music shoots on straight away. It was that goosebump moment. It was the realisation that I did it, I’m playing at the pinnacle of club football in the Champions League. It was our first game as a club back in the Champions League after over two decades and I was one of the players selected to represent the club in that first game. Huge sense of pride and part of my journey. It was amazing, just to take it in and enjoy the moment because that was my first start in the Champions League and I wanted to really remember it and take in everything that was going on."
WHY IS THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE MUSIC SO SPECIAL?
Pressed further on why the Champions League music is so special, with several players having spoken of its importance to them down the years, Murphy added: “It’s not just the game itself, it’s everything. Everything to do with the competition – the advertising around the pitch, how professionally done everything is, it’s elite. That’s the best way to describe it. There is a lot going on around it and it’s nice to be in the heart of it.”
He added on Newcastle creating memories that will last a lifetime: “It’s cliche that we all want to play at the top level and stuff like that, but for a lot of us it was probably something that we didn’t think was going to happen – playing Champions League football. But the new owners came in, then Eddie [Howe] came and that’s when everyone really began to dream again. That’s the big thing, we’re dreaming again and these dreams from when we were younger might have faded, might have thought that’s probably not going to be reality, but everyone began to believe – the club, the fan base. It’s come together really nicely.”
STATSportsWHERE DID NEWCASTLE PLAYERS WATCH THE DRAW?
The group stage draw for the 2023-24 Champions League took place on August 31. Newcastle were placed into the so-called ‘Group of Death’ alongside Milan, Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund. Howe’s squad thoroughly enjoyed the occasion, though, with Murphy saying of where players and staff watched the draw from: “We were at the training ground. We had a special event put on for us. It was fantastic – we had all the players and their families, coaching staff and all of the ground staff from the training ground, physios, chefs and everyone in the catering department, cleaners, groundsmen and all their families. Everyone watched it together, with a lot of activities going on and a big screen to watch the draw. That was a special moment for everyone involved in the achievement, to all be together and take it in. To get the draw, we were buzzing. It was a tough draw, but we’re in the Champions League now. An easy group would be nice, but you want those iconic teams. You want to play in huge games and really leave a mark. Because we were in Pot 4, we always knew that we were going to have a tough ride. To have that calibre of opposition, I think it worked out for the best. It’s really good that we’re testing ourselves against the elite. It stands us in good stead to show where we are in our journey, how we can go up against the so-called big boys in European football.”