Alan Reveals All About Carabao Cup Final Celebrations
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a certain ecstatic euphoric probably slightly hung over Alan Shearer who's going to do a little bit like we did in the Euros with the England games when he co-commented we couldn't get him on obviously after the game because he had other things to do give us a lowdown Al how do you feel first how is it where do I start I'm definitely not hung over because I've been on it all day again so I started off first thing this morning so

After a couple of hours sleep, oh, man, what a day. After being nervous and excited and all of those things beforehand, it was just fucking unbelievable, man. It was like I just haven't experienced it before. The feeling, the adulation, the fun. Oh, man.

Wembley is just a place for winners, isn't it? I've been there as a fan, as a loser, and I've been there as a player, as a loser. And to go there for once and to be part of or to be supporting a team that has won is just...

It was off the charts good. And the game was amazing. I mean, how good were Newcastle? Seriously. I'm sure you've listened to... Yeah, I did. They were, to a man, right across the board. They were so dominant and so impressive, really, under that kind of pressure and expectation. I did. I listened to you two this morning on the flight over. I'm in Amsterdam. I listened to you two and you managed to send me off to sleep. So thanks very much for that. We aim to please...

What are you doing in Amsterdam, Al? Believe it or not, I'm here to come and see, I'm watching Sam Fender tomorrow evening. So we got an invite of Sam to come over to Amsterdam. He's a Newcastle fan, right? Huge Newcastle fan. I was with his agent yesterday and we FaceTimed Sam just after the game because he was due to go. Well, he was, he was in Berlin last night performing yesterday.

And I said to his agent, I said, who the hell books his gigs, by the way? Who's booking Sam in Berlin on the night of a... He said it was done like months and months ago. He obviously knew that it was probably a safe bet that they wouldn't be in a final. Yeah.

So we FaceTimed him after that. He was crying. I mean, the tears were real tears of joy and happiness and everything else because Sam's song, 17 Going Under, was blasting out of Wembley and all the Newcastle fans were singing it and the players were all dancing to it. And it was like, oh. So you can imagine from his point of view as well, you know, why he was so emotional. As were we all. It was...

never experienced anything like it it was just absolutely brilliant I can relate to it to a degree when Leicester won the FA Cup for the first time in their history if you remember we were on air we were at the end and I suddenly got very teary myself because for some reason my dad came in

to my mind it was a life he went to all four FA Cup finals they'd lost and I know you lost your father recently as well Alan did that come into your mind as well that he missed it absolutely yeah I got I did I must admit I had a tear or two at the end when the final whistle went because I thought my old man you know and I mean he was he was lucky enough he was he was

he went to the 69 final when they, when they won the first cup. So he, he, he, he sort of sampled it a little bit, but I just wish he had been there yesterday, but he'd have been, he'd have been looking down, you know, um,

Because even in his last few days, he was on about Newcastle and how we wanted them to do well and win the trophy and what have you. But me and Will and my daughter Chloe and her boyfriend were all at the game yesterday. So we'll give them a little nod. But yeah, I mean, back to the players. Where do you start? If you go through...

Every single player. I genuinely, honestly think every single Newcastle player brought their A game. Totally agree. And all over the pitch, they won every single battle against their opponent. I think that was such a big thing because the...

I mean, he had to worry about left back and he played Liveramento who, I mean, he never gave Salah a kick. He never, never gave him a kick. Harvey Barnes on the left hand side instead of, instead of Anthony Gordon. I mean, what a night for him. I had a pint with him afterwards in the, in the party and seeing how great he was.

It was just... Yeah, you can go... Joe Linton, oh, my God. Oh, wow. Beast of a performance. Unbelievable. He is horrible to play against, isn't he? You can imagine he was everywhere. And I think that was always going to be key, that midfield battle, because...

It was always going to be who was going to come out on top on that. And that three, and I thought Newcastle dominated the midfield and that set them up perfectly. And then where do we start with big Dan Burnham? I was just about to ask you that. Against his England call-up. And then how good was he, Alan? I said to him last night, I was having a pint with him last night, and I said, you might as well fucking retire, man. Because...

The week you've had, it's not getting any better. Let him go in the England squad first. I said, it's typical for you because Newcastle, the players, they're off. They've all gone off to Dubai, I think. Oh, my word. What could possibly go wrong? Well, they're all going as a team, you know. And I said, Dan, it's typical. You get in the England squad, you can't go on. You can't have five or six days break in the sun now. And he said, you know what? He said, I don't give a damn. He said, I can't wait to

to get up with England. And when I said to him, you might as well retire, he went, I might just go on Friday at Wembley. I said, oh, well, yeah, absolutely. Can you imagine? I mean, it just, the lad from Blyth, from Newcastle, to come in and score that first goal. I mean, Newcastle, we haven't scored a goal at Wembley since 2000. I think Rob Lee was the last player to score in the semi-final against Chelsea. Yeah.

And for him as a local boy to score that goal to put Newcastle 1-0 up just before half-time,

He's in Dreamland, isn't he? I saw Rob Lee, you know, pitch side. And obviously I had that joke with Rob Lee. Yeah, really? And Sherwood! I saw him, I was tiptoeing round him. When you were laughing at him in that team, yeah, my best team. Do you remember, Gaz? Yes. When you said the best team and he said Rob Lee and Tim Sherwood and I burst out laughing on BBC Top Ten. Oh, you saw him, did you? I saw him! And I was...

I was like, obviously, he's a top player, but to Vieira and Yaya Torre, I was like, I saw him, I felt, oh my God. Oh, please tell me you dug yourself even deeper. What I meant was, you were all right. No, not all right, you were better than that. I hope you hadn't shook his hand, did you? Or did you just try and avoid him at all costs? I just tried to avoid him. LAUGHTER

We've just had a knee replacement as well. He wouldn't have been running away from you. Oh, man. Yeah, brilliant. That is superb. Did Dan Byrne get... Was there a man of the match award? Yeah, he got a man of the match, yeah. Oh, brilliant. What a header, though, Al. What a header. I mean, it was a long way out, wasn't it? It was a flash. Fantastic, yeah. And it was fascinating to listen to Eddie afterwards because he'd said they'd been working on set pieces for the past two weeks, how they felt they could...

They could hurt Liverpool and, I mean, it worked perfectly. But, yeah, what a header. But even if he hadn't scored that goal, the rest of his performance, like so aggressive and just he didn't give anyone a sniff, you know. It was just like...

It was just absolutely magnificent. Kieran Trippier. I mean, we can go through the whole team, how good they were. And we've got time. Yeah. Even Nick Pope. I mean, that was a big call from Eddie because he had a big decision to make whether he was going to play Nick Pope or Dubravka, who's done really, really well. He made one absolutely sensational save, didn't he? Yeah, right. And it was just such a key time as well. You know, he made that fantastic save. So starting with him and...

Savian Cher was... I mean, we've been through the whole of the back four. We said about Liveromento never gives Salah a kick. The midfield three. I mean, Danny Murphy said on Saturday night that two best midfields in the Premier League and he was absolutely right. I agreed with him, but I just thought Newcastle, Tenali, Guimaraes and Joe Linton bossed the midfield in every single way. They were aggressive. The energy that they had...

And then we go to the front three. I mean, Harvey Barnes could have scored, assisted. Jacob Murphy with a header into Isak at the work they did. And how good is Isak, lads? So good. So good. Yeah. It's an all-round game as a nine. I mean, he can do everything. He can score with the long range. He can score close in. He's good in the air. His hold-up play is brilliant. He can beat players as well.

Amazing centre forward. Can I convince you now, lads, he's world-class or not? Well, hold on. What did I say, Alan, when you said it? I did back you up. I said he's playing at the world-class level, but he just needs to be playing at a certain level for long enough to show everyone. But he's remarkable.

Micah, you were pitch side, Micah. So you would have been right in the middle, whereas obviously I was at the far end of all the Newcastle fans. And it sounded as if to me it's like the Newcastle fans were off the charts in terms of the atmosphere. Was it like a fair balance? Because you were right in the middle. The Liverpool fans are the same. It was... The Liverpool fans are always incredible. You know, you go to Anfield, remarkable, the noise levels.

and Newcastle were the exact same. So normally when you go to Wembley, you guys have done loads of broadcasts at Wembley or whatever. And normally there's one side that's louder, but there was equally as loud. It was mayhem. We was right on the halfway line. But when Newcastle scored, there was a goal. We were in England at

At the Euros. Germany. Oh, Germany. Germany was the game. That's the loudest I've heard Wembley. I think that was a loud... But that matched it. And I couldn't believe what I was hearing. It was madness. It was crazy. It was just a great atmosphere. But when Newcastle scored their first goal, Dan Byrne, oh my God. Yes.

I'll tell you what, Alan, I was watching my, all my lads were here for the game and when Dan Burner did that in, all five of us leapt up in the air shouting like that was our team. It was mad. And no disrespect to Liverpool and Liverpool Football Club. It's a wonderful football club, but they've won so much that I think most neutrals...

Most neutrals with a heart. I think so. I think so. That's the feeling that I got. And I said the same. I mean, I said, I put out a thing on Twitter after the game saying Liverpool, brilliant. They're going to win the league and how great they've been this season. But,

Newcastle absolutely battered them yesterday. I think they just ran out. They didn't have the energy to match Newcastle, did they? There was no doubt that their extra time in midweek on the Tuesday evening took it out of them. And they looked physically and mentally knackered and they didn't have any answer to Newcastle's pressing and energy and general play. Can I ask you, you mentioned there, Gaz, about Leicester, that emotion.

You said you thought of your dad in that moment, but you've won stuff as a player. And the same with you, Alan, as well, obviously winning a league with Blackburn. But what made it so special is just because it's your boyhood club. It's really strange, isn't it? When people ask me the question, what's the best moment ever in sport? And I would say when Leicester won the league. And probably the second one would have been when Leicester won the FA Cup.

And it's really weird. And I took no part in it whatsoever. You know, I've won... I haven't won a league. I won the FA Cup. I won the Copa del Rey. I won the European Cup Winners' Cup. I didn't compare. It's like... It's a weird thing. It's that tribality that we...

kind of lean into or, um, and it's just, it's amazing, isn't it, Alan, what it does to you? Just, I mean, we're, we're, we're fairly, well, I am, and you're getting that way. We're, you know, well on the back nine of life. And, yeah.

And that was another thing today. Did you see Rory McIlroy won the players? Did he win it? I didn't see it. Yeah, he won the playoff today. He won it. He was brilliant in the playoff. He won comfortably. So that's more good news, particularly on St. Patrick's Day. That's when we're recording it today. But yeah,

There's something about being a fan that because it's almost out of your control as well. That's exactly it. I was just about to say that same thing is because even when I played at, when we went to Wembley's players, it

I was never as nervous or... I don't think I was as excited as I was yesterday as the fan. I mean, everything about it was just like madness. And then to go into the party afterwards and share it with some of the players and the fans. I mean, the box part where we went afterwards...

Like chaos it was. I want to hear more about what happened post the match, but let's take a little break now. And I don't think you're tired of talking about that day. Welcome back to The Rest Is Football with Michael Richards, a jubilant Alan Shearer and me, Gary Lineker. Alan, we were just kind of sneaking into the post-match side of things and you did join...

the players at their celebration. Who did you speak to? Yes, spoke to quite a few of them. Harvey Barnes, as I said, Big Dan, Joe Linton. I mean, all I could do was just like, come here, give me a fucking hug, will you? You've made my life. You have made my life. Do you realise what? That's what all I kept saying to them. Do you realise what you've achieved, guys? I hope in the next...

I don't know, days or weeks, you understand the size of what you've just done, you know? It's like... Did you also say, when you lose next, when you lose in a couple of weeks, Tom, I'll be slagging you off again. I said to him, you do what the fuck you want, guys. I'm never going to criticise you ever again. You will. It's not good enough. There's nothing...

No work rate, no intensity, no passion. Did you hear the post-match interview of Bruno Guimaraes? He gave you a good mention, talked about you sending texts. Tell us about that. No, I just sent him a text before the game as I did a few of the players and to Eddie and just said, look, all the best, all the best, Skipper, I said. I can just imagine the scenes if you were to...

to win the trophy. I know they've had a great occasion at Wembley, but whenever they do the parade at Newcastle, it's going to be epic. It's going to be something that they've probably never seen before, you know, and it's just because, and people will say, oh, you've won the Carabao Cup. Yeah, we have. We've won the Carabao Cup, but we haven't won anything for 70 years or domestically for 70 years. And that's why it means so much. And,

The parade at Newcastle, whenever it is, will be something just incredible. And the players will just look around and think, what on earth is going on? Because...

I told you guys, didn't I, when we lost in 98 in the FA Cup final, we had a parade. And stupidly, they didn't take us out of it. There were hundreds of thousands of fans lining the streets on top of the fucking lampposts and the traffic lights and all of that. And you lost. And we lost. So you can imagine what it's going to be like on a Saturday or whenever they do it. It'll just be...

Incredible. It really will. And they deserve it, the players. And what a job he's done, Eddie Howman. Incredible. Incredible. Yeah. First English coach to win a domestic title since Harry Redknapp in 2008. And also, don't forget that for the last three transfer windows, I think they haven't signed any first team player. So he's had to work with what he's got and go up against all the big clubs. When you consider the beat...

To get to the Cup final, they beat Forest, they beat Chelsea, they beat Arsenal, and now they went and beaten Liverpool in the final. So they've beaten the top four, I think it is, haven't they? Right the way through the tournament. So an unbelievable achievement. And all the players were loving the celebrations in the bar last night. And the Newcastle fans, they were just adoring them. And they're going to get that wherever they go in Newcastle for the rest of their life because...

they all just can do and say whatever they choose in Newcastle because they've given they've made so many I mean I did a thing for Football Focus with about an old guy who's 97 who who is just who said if Newcastle were to win he can go away happily and he'll be able to happily go and say it was like and I was just oh my god and that's what it means you know it's been that long

Incredible. It's incredible. Where was the function post-match? It was just down the road from Wembley in Boxport. So actually the players all went to the Boxport thing? Yeah, all the players. Amidst the fans and all that? All the staff, they hired upstairs and they took upstairs over and all was downstairs.

And then when Big, it was brilliant because when Dan Byrne came in, they put the song on. You'll never ever be Dan Byrne. He's from Blythe. And then he sort of stood on the balcony at the top and he was like, he was like, oh. Did he do his dance? He did, he did his dance.

It was brilliant, man. It's fantastic, it was, yeah. It's not a little dance for Dan Byrne, is it? It's a big dance. So I don't know, I haven't got a clue what time I got in, me and my son, my daughter and a boyfriend, and then...

I was up very early and back on it again on a flight to Amsterdam and had a few more pints of Guinness when I arrived in Amsterdam. Did you manage to chat with Eddie? I haven't had a chat with Eddie, no. I just sent him a text message, just said, I just said, thank you, with a black and white love heart. That's all I said. It was like, what more can I say to him? That is just amazing. And what were you talking about, Eddie? Yeah.

How good can Eddie Howe be, you know, giving time, giving players? Because we're looking at a top manager now, aren't we? Definitely. We were all, we said it at the time, absolutely delighted that England didn't even come knocking on his door. England weren't even interested in talking to him. So weird. Which, like weird, but absolutely brilliant for Newcastle. Because when you consider...

We've had the brilliant Sir Bobby Robson at Newcastle. We had Kevin Keegan and these guys are adored at Newcastle and rightly so. But Eddie's done something that those guys couldn't do. These guys couldn't win a trophy and I was part of that. But Eddie has now won a trophy at Newcastle and he's put himself above those guys. It's just like,

Done a great job, yeah. And it's helped for English managers as well, hasn't it? To give them that hope, saying, you know, give us a chance. We can do it. You see what Lampard's doing now at Coventry. He's doing a really good job. It was just a whole feel-good factor for everyone. And I think even Liverpool fans would...

of course, they'd want to win on the day, but, you know, even they've been saying congratulations to Newcastle. And he's actually improved so many players, Micah, at Newcastle. When you consider all those players going up against the Liverpool players, and there was, without doubt, a genuine belief that Newcastle could overturn Liverpool, and they did it. And,

And that's thanks to him, the belief that he's given every player, the confidence he's given every single fan. And one thing's for sure, he'll never ever have to buy a pint in Newcastle in his life ever again. No chance. Alan, I definitely want to ask this before we call it a day. How were you those few minutes after that?

VAR intervention and the goal right at the end. Although there wasn't really a nervous moment in terms of they didn't really threaten because I thought Newcastle, again, managed the game really well at that point. But as a fan, what were you going through? Was it tight? Because, as I said, it has to be for the amount of time that it's taken. And again, I mean, we were like, what the fuck?

Fuck's sake, hurry up and give us a decision. First replay out. You could see first replay. Why did it take so long then? Why did it take so long? Were they just faffing around again? Well, they do, don't they? They draw the lines. I suppose they don't want to get it wrong, and I understand that. But he was probably six inches off. Right, okay. It wasn't one of those toenail jobs. You could see. You could see he was definitely onside. Oh, no. That goal when I was thinking...

Oh, God. And then they put about, I don't know, six or seven minutes of playing into 100 minutes. Virgil van Dijk went up front. I was screaming at the referee, blow your fucking whistle. I was like, honestly. I was going absolutely berserk. But yeah, it was even, you're right. I mean, even in those last few minutes, we...

The way they played the game in Newcastle and handled that situation, yeah, although it was nerve-wracking, I always felt that they had it in their bag. From the very first minute, I was quite comfortable in how they were playing and what they were doing. How old are you again, Alan? 50?

54. Four. Yeah. And it's the first time. First time. First time in your life. It's nuts. And that's what I've been saying. I have to, in my lifetime, I had to see Newcastle win at least one trophy. And that's happened now. What we need next is England. Yeah, I know.

Imagine that as well, yeah. But you know what it is, though? It goes in, I'm hoping now, it goes in cycles, doesn't it? We've seen Man City, what they've achieved, where they come from and how they won their first trophy and then went on. We saw Chelsea, they won their first trophy, how they sort of went on it.

I just hope that it's now going to be Newcastle's turn to go and win a few. It's probably a little bit more difficult now with the PSR rules for a club like Newcastle's. I agree, yeah. But anyway, well done. Well done. Congratulations. I think we were all genuinely chuffed for you. It was fabulous. And I even believe you sound so sincere and I know you mean it. I am sincere. I appreciate it, lads, honestly. It was just...

Off the charts good. And yeah, what a day and what a night. Okay, we'll call that a day. We'll be back with our question and answer episode tomorrow. But for now, goodbye from me. Goodbye from me. Goodbye from me. I know I'm going to have a great week, but everyone else have a great week as well. Brilliant. Brilliant.