‘This is our final’ - Newcastle United legend issues spine-tingling Carabao Cup battle cry

Shay Given, more than anyone alive, understands the feeling of playing for Newcastle United. On 462 occasions over a 12-year period, the Irishman donned the famous Toon jersey - placing him third in the club’s all-time appearance list.

Standing proudly between the sticks during FA Cup finals, Champions League escapades and do-or-die Premier League clashes crowns Given as the world’s leading adopted Geordie. But like those in 1974, 1976 and the 2023 crop that came afterwards, Given’s cohort fell short.

Double disappointment in the 1990s saw Newcastle face double-winning Arsenal in 1998 and treble-conquering Manchester United a year later. Given kept net against the Gunners - a game that resulted in the Magpies striking the woodwork twice before losing 2-0.

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Theories about a gypsy curse placed over trophy-bereft Newcastle have emerged in recent days - a notion Eddie Howe has rejected. Liverpool, the silky, swashbuckling side coasting to the Premier League title, pose a daunting task as it is without ancient magic compounding the challenge further.

Positivity is key - and who better to weaponise that emotion than a Toon Hall of Famer? In a defiant battle cry to United players, Given told NewcastleWorld: “You deserve to be there. You got there not by luck, fluke or whatever. Arsenal (Newcastle’s semi-final opponents) are a brilliant team, no one would have fancied Newcastle and they had two brilliant results. 

“So why not? Why not beat Liverpool in the final? Yeah, it's going to be a tough ask but it's definitely doable. They are there for a reason - because they're good players. Newcastle deserve to be there. Liverpool are a good team but they're not unbeatable. Sometimes you think these teams are unplayable or untouchable but they aren’t. 

“The Newcastle players need to believe in themselves and, in a one-off final, they're good enough to beat Liverpool. They really are. They have to believe it. I believe it, and I'm sure the fans will as well. That's the mindset they have to go in with. 

“This is our final. If we perform to our maximum, we can beat and we will beat Liverpool - that’s the message they have to believe in. Visualise yourself getting your hands on that trophy and walking up the Wembley steps. That's the mindset these players have to have and the message they need to believe in.”

For Newcastle players, the weight of Geordie hopes is omnipresent. It is everywhere: barber shop windows, pubs, cars and houses across the city are adopting an increasingly black-and-white theme as the big day approaches.

Carrying the burden of 70, failure-ridden years is part and parcel of playing for this club. Heartbroken fans watched on in 1974, 1976, 1998, 1999 and 2023 as the Magpies crumbled under the lights. Is a world-renowned support - desperate for any form of success - counterproductive?

“You just want to give everything,” Given added. “You don't want to disappoint people or to let the fans down. You want to leave everything on the pitch because you know how much it means. With the previous ownership, it seemed a million miles away but now we're back for the second time in three years. 

“There'll be thousands of fans travelling who won’t even have tickets, I know that for a fact. I remember two years ago, (seeing) Trafalgar Square and the whole of London. Do you know what? I'm getting excited the more I sit here and talk about it. I'm relishing it and I'm not even playing. I've been there myself, you get that buzz, that excitement… Travelling down to London, to Wembley, in the hotel the night before… It’s a huge event and there's huge excitement around it.

“You can only imagine what it would be like if they got their hands on the trophy. The scenes up in Newcastle in the city would be mental. You dream and think about these things. They're so close to being heroes forever at Newcastle. But there's a big sort of red machine in front of them, stopping them from doing that. Relish the chance. They deserve to be there - go and grab it with both hands.”