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Rio Ferdinand was stunned. The Manchester United legend had just seen PSG demolish Inter Milan to win the Champions League for the first time ever. "If you're a team and

you're sitting at home on your sofa watching that, I'd probably have turned off after 30 minutes," the former England captain claimed following Luis Enrique's side's

5-0 victory. "I'd have just said, 'I can't watch too much of this'. It could scare me." However, Eddie Howe will not have been frightened by the prospect of

PSG being one of the six teams his Newcastle United side could face from pot one next season. On the contrary. The Newcastle boss is relishing the chance for his players to test themselves

against the very best once again. Just as they did in 2023. "You look at the PSG team that we played compared to the team now," he explained last week. "You see the growth in

that team and it’s been great to see. They’re one of my favourite teams to watch in world football at the moment. "Of course we would love to stay with that level because that level

improves your own players. There’s no doubt. It improves your own team and your ability to do then well in your respective domestic competitions so the prize is a big one." PSG have

certainly changed a lot - just four starters from the St James' Park mauling lined up in Saturday's final - but so, too, have Newcastle. Not necessarily in terms of personnel, but

in terms of big-game experience. Not only have Newcastle since ended a 70-year wait to win a major domestic trophy - the Magpies have qualified for the Champions League for the second time

in three seasons. These players are starting to feel like they belong amongst the elite and there is no chance of Howe letting up. You suspect the relentless Newcastle boss was even taking

one or two notes on Saturday night. “Watching the games from the outside is different to being involved in it," he added. "Watching the games this years brings back memories of our

own experiences and how much we would like to get back there and devour those moments again with some of the stadiums we played at, the atmospheres we were involved in and the nearly

moments where we felt we could have achieved so much more." _Here at ChronicleLive, we are dedicated to bringing you the best NEWCASTLE UNITED coverage and analysis._ _Make sure you

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