Gleeful Alan Pardew and Joey Barton eulogise over ‘magnificent’ Newcastle United and ‘Geordie Maradonna’

Newcastle United had stars of yesteryear eulogising over the team's scintillating performance against Champions League giants Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday night.

Magpies supporters were jubilant at the return of European football to Tyneside but few will have dared to dream about capping the long-awaited night with a win over the Ligue 1 champions. However, Eddie Howe's side provided a historic performance to blow away Kylian Mbappe and co. by a 4-1 scoreline.

Praise for the Magpies poured out from all corners of the internet after an emotional night at the cathedral on the hill, which saw two local Geordie boys find their way onto the scoresheet in Dan Burn and Sean Longstaff.

Former Newcastle United boss Alan Pardew, who was the last manager to oversee a Magpies side in Europe thanks to his Europa League run in 2012/13, was working as a pundit on SkySports and waxed lyrical about the side's performance against PSG. Speaking after the game, Pardew could hardly contain his glee and said: "The stadium was in magnificent voice with a magnificent atmosphere.

"They were brave. They pressed the ball from the start. The back four were magnificent. Lascelles, Schar, Burn and Trippier. Eddie was brave, he set them up to do that, they pressed and got their first goal from the press. Really and truly PSG were struggling to find rhythm in the game, they never looked like hurting Newcastle.

"The last goal just summed the evening up. Schar has walked into midfield, robbed the ball, it's bounced back to him and he's hit it. This one is going to go down in folklore. He's bent it into the top corner and what a way to end. They've done a lap of honour, thoroughly deserved. To a man, the whole squad and the fans, what a great night for Newcastle."

Another ex Magpie sharing his love for the club online on Wednesday was former midfielder Joey Barton. The Englishman's four years at Newcastle United was marred by controversy and the player eventually left shortly after Pardew was appointed manager when contract talks stalled.

Now manager of Bristol Rovers, Barton wrote on X: "What a night! Couldn’t have gone any better for The Toon Army. Buzzing to see those CL nights back at St. James."

Being in charge of Bristol Rovers, Barton of course worked with rising Newcastle United star Elliot Anderson in the West Country during the midfielder's loan spell with the club last year. The manager was especially pleased to see Anderson get minutes against PSG, writing 'go on lad' online as the 'Geordie Maradonna' was subbed onto the field.