'So many emotions in such a short time for the Newcastle fans'
It was difficult to know where to look during the final 10 minutes of Newcastle's dramatic final day.
As an end-to-end game continued, the Newcastle backroom staff and analysts sitting in the row in front of me were watching Manchester United v Aston Villa on a laptop, knowing that because of the nervy, poor performance against Everton, that was the game that would now decide their Champions League fate.
At the final whistle, Newcastle's players sank to their knees before Harvey Barnes ran from the bench to tell them the news from Old Trafford and many of the squad gathered around a tablet on the pitch to watch the end of the Villa game.
The Champions League anthem ringing around the stadium was the start of the celebrations and minutes later Dan Burn was walking out with the Carabao Cup to lead a lap of honour.
So many emotions in such a short time.
No wonder Eddie Howe looked a bit tired when he walked into the news conference room, but he was a proud man stressing that, pre-season, not many people had expected a top-five finish.
"We had a disrupted, turbulent summer and huge challenges," he told us. "But the players gave everything, a brilliant group to manage and they've got their rewards."
There was a bit of talk among journalists in the media room as we waited for Howe to arrive that this Everton result was proof that Newcastle desperately need some reinforcements and quality new additions this summer.
When asked about that, Howe stressed that their intention is to bring in new faces and do it fast. "Speed is key," he said. "We'll be doing our best to do things early."
So a busy few weeks of transfer speculation lie in wait as Newcastle look forward to the return of Champions League football next season.
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