Joelinton of Newcastle United celebrates with his Carabao winners medal(Image: Kieran McManus/REX/Shutterstock)

Newcastle United's Redemption Sons: The five stars who will enjoy Wembley win more than most

by · ChronicleLive

For many, it's still not quite sunk in. After all, most of us have been waiting a lifetime for Newcastle United to win a major trophy. But as we try to return to some sort of normality after a weekend of incredible highs, we can look to the future knowing this can be just the start for this squad.

The likes of Alexander Isak, Bruno Guimaraes, Anthony Gordon and Sven Botman have the footballing world at their feet, and can inspire United to even greater achievements in the coming years. But for some, the Carabao Cup success at Wembley was the culmination of a battle against the odds which perhaps seemed unachievable in certain dark moments on Tyneside.

Many in this squad could never have imagined such joy in a black-and-white shirt for various reasons - and so the celebrations which started on Sunday night, and are still going, are even sweeter. Everyone has their own story of success, but these are extra special

Joelinton

Is there anyone who embodies just how far Newcastle United have come under Eddie Howe that the Brazilian? His £40m move from Hoffenheim was becoming a disaster the club didn't know how to deal with, as it became quickly clear he wasn't - and indeed never had been - the No 9 they wanted. One criticism that was never thrown his way was a lack of effort. Newcastle fans can see when someone is putting the hard yards in, which was why he was never castigated despite a lack of goals. However, what happened next surprised us all.

Foreced into a tactical switch after Ciaran Clark was sent off in a relegation scrap with Norwich City, Joelinton was moved into a central midfield role - and never looked back. Fast forward three years and he's bossing the Liverpool midfield in a Wembey final before heading off to join the Brazil squad with team-mate Bruno Guimaraes. Just imagine someone telling you that in 2019. No one deserves it more.

Sandro Tonali

From the darkness has come light. The months spent training, training but never playing must have felt like an eternity for Sandro Tonali. The Italian midfielder owned up to his mistakes, took his punishment and for 10 long months was a frustrated observer from the sidelines.

It's no surprise he has taken his chance of redemption with both hands. United's season was drifting early on before the former AC Milan star was moved into a central role and everything changed. Having Tonali in the side means Newcastle can be even braver pushing forward, with the classy No 8 rarely caught out of position.

Howe frequently namechecked Tonali last season, giving him credit for the role he was playing behind the scenes, driving his team-mates on in training despite the frustration of being able to take part in the match action. You feel this is just the start, but what a class act.

Sandro Tonali of Newcastle United celebrates with the winners trophy following the Carabao Cup Final(Image: Photo by Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images)

Jacob Murphy

Nobody celebrated quite like Jacob Murphy at Wembley, and after eight years at the club, who can blame him? Another who has been offered a new lease of life under Howe, the popular winger has had to be patient and wait for his chance. After all, it was only two years ago that Miguel Almiron was starring in that role as United qualified for the Champions League.

But Murphy has never given up. Not even when he was twice loaned out as it looked as though his United career could be over without ever sparking into life. It was a dream come true for the boyhood Newcastle fan when he joined from Norwich City in 2017 under Rafa Benitez, but he struggled to break into the side and had spells on loan at West Bromwich Albion and Sheffield Wednesday.

Like so many others, things changed for the better under Howe. Now far more effective and dangerous, he has earned his place in this Newcastle side - and he's more than earned those celebrations. He's living the dream and long may it continue.

Dan Burn

The big defender's Newcastle United story appears on the surface to be one of success after success, but we all know the journey Dan Burn has been on. After being rejected by the club as a yougster, Burn pushed trolleys for Asda before working his way up the football pyramid. Success at Darlington prompted a move to Fulham, but even then there were loans to Yeovil and Birmingham and a pemanant exit to Wigan.

However, it was at Brighton that he began to get top-flight recognition, so much so that he was one of the first signings Howe made in that seismic January transfer window of 2022. His impact at Newcastle was instant and he can now add Wembley goalscorer to a long list of achievements which already included scoring against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.

No wonder Thomas Tuchel called him into his first England squad. Dan Burn has had worse weeks - but it has been forged in years of hard work.

59 incredible Newcastle Wembley pictures as United heroes celebrate emotional Carabao Cup win

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Fabian Schar

Fabian Schar did not play a single minute of the eight games leading up to Eddie Howe's appointment, remaining on the bench throughout. Let that sink in.

He did start Howe's first game, a 3-3 draw with Brentford, and has barely missed a match since. That tells you all you need to know about how important the Swiss defender has been to Newcastle United's incredible transformation.

His ability was always obvious, but he has added focus and a steely determination which has made him one of the most consistent defenders in the Premier League. He has seen the lows in a Newcastle United shirt, so when he said: "This means everything to me! To win a trophy for this club is all I’ve ever wanted! I know how much it means to Newcastle fans and to everyone supporting us!" . . . you know he means it.

NUFC win Carabao Cup

We thought you'd like a handy highlights guide to our best coverage of Newcastle United's Carabao Cup win: