Newcastle United midfielder Sean Longstaff was part of the team who sealed all three points when French league defending champions Paris Saint-Germain travelled to St James’ Park for the UEFA Champions League tie between both sides.
The match is an unlikely one thanks to the fact that Newcastle have not played in the competition in two decades and PSG were not European giants until 15 years ago after their takeover by the Qatar Sports Group.
The French giants paraded stars like Kylian Mbappe, Marquinhos, Achraf Hakimi, Ousmane Dembele and their manager, the treble-winning Luis Enrique; all players who the St James’ Park crowd never thought they could see grace their humble stadium.
The team and the fans did not let the star power on display prevent them from their goal: getting three points to go top of the group and increase their chances of going further in the Champions League. They achieved that goal on the night with a 4-1 victory which many pundits, bookmakers and analyst’s never saw coming.
Paraguayan forward Miguel Almiron scored the Toons’ first Champions League goal in 20 years in the 17th minute of the game. By the 50th minute, Newcastle United were three goals up, shocking the entire world.
St James’ Park was beside itself with joy even when PSG pulled one back in the 56th minute. Their 12th man played a key role as Newcastle went on to add a fourth in stoppage time to seal the most famous win in their footballing history.
Sean Longstaff, who scored the third goal in the rout of the 2019/20 Champions League finalists, could barely contain his joy at the outcome of the game. The older Longstaff brother, who is a Newcastle-born player and a product of the club’s academy, stated that he is ‘over the moon’ to have scored for his hometown club in such a historic match.
“It’s some night,” Longstaff told TNT Sports. “I think we knew it was going to be special with the atmosphere but for me and Burny to score on a night like tonight is pretty surreal.
“I am lost for words really.
“I think, to be honest, there are some of us that thought three years ago we were probably out of the door and it wasn’t a great place to be.
“I am so proud to be from Newcastle and I am over the moon.”
Dan Burn, another Newcastle-born player and the scorer of the fourth goal, also expressed joy and stated that the events of the night were like a dream.
“I was released by Fulham at 25 years old,” the 31-year-old defender said to TNT Sports. To come back and play Champions League football, I am very proud.
“It is like dream I am waiting for someone to wake me up, I am waiting for the bubble to pop.”
Newcastle will now turn their attention to their Premier League clash with West Ham United in a game that is as high stakes as their UCL outing against PSG.
