23 January 2023 , 22:30
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Kieran Trippier revealed native Geordies Dan Burn and Sean Longstaff have been giving Newcastle players history lessons as motivation to end their trophy drought.
The Toon head for Southampton in the EFL Cup semi-finals on Tuesday night on the back of a 15-game unbeaten run – and with the fans desperate to land their first domestic pot in 68 years. Trippier, who played in the Euro 2020 final and a World Cup semi-final for England, and the Champions League final for Tottenham, warned: “We might not get this opportunity again.”
And the Newcastle captain says the squad has been leaning on local heroes Burn and Longstaff for inside knowledge on the craving for success on Tyneside.
He said: “It was a bit of a shock when you come here, see how big the club and how long it is since we won a trophy. But we have Dan Burn, Sean Longstaff, loads of players who are Geordies, and they try and drill it into the boys how much it would mean to get to a final and to win a cup.
“Dan is Newcastle through-and-through, and Longs as well - they know how much it means to represent the club in the first place and to play for the club in the semi-final of a cup.
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Kieran Trippier has learned about Newcastle's trophy drought (Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images)“We need to listen to them, we listen to their stories and talk about the history of the club. For all the new players who have come in - like myself - it is important to understand and learn about the history of the club.
“This is a massive game. Some of the players might not have been in a semi-final before, but I have had a lot of games in these type of situations, so I can try and help as much as I can.
“We might not get this opportunity again so we need to be ourselves, stick to the basics, listen to the manager’s game plan and enjoy it. It is great for the club, the history of the club, and the priority is to get the win.”