Newcastle United contracts: A deal agreed in private was confirmed ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League match against Benfica at St James’ Park.
Newcastle United goalkeeper Nick Pope has confirmed he is under contract at St James’ Park until the end of June 2027 after reports of an extension surfaced last week.
Last week, it was reported that Pope took up the option as part of a reward for Newcastle qualifying for the Champions League but it has not been announced by the club.
It was previously believed that Pope was out of contract at the end of the 2025/26 season after signing a four-year deal when he joined Newcastle from Burnley for £10million in 2022.
Since then, Pope has helped Newcastle win the Carabao Cup and qualify twice for the Champions League, making over 100 appearances.
In his first season at Newcastle, Pope formed part of the Premier League’s best defence in his first season at the club, conceding just 33 goals in 38 league games.
He has also enjoyed a strong start to the season at Newcastle, keeping six clean sheets in 10 appearances so far.
The Magpies were in the market for a goalkeeper in the summer but were ultimately unsuccessful in securing top target James Trafford, who joined Manchester City from Burnley instead. Newcastle later secured a loan deal with Aaron Ramsdale from Southampton with an option to make the deal permanent next summer.
But Ramsdale has started just one Carabao Cup game so far this season with Pope still Newcastle’s first choice between the sticks.
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Nick Pope confirms contract
When asked to clarify his contract situation ahead of Tuesday night’s Champions League match against Benfica, Pope admitted the reported extension was from a deal he signed over two years ago.
“Tough to say [how it feels] because I signed that in July 2023,” Pope smiled. “So, I was really happy about it then and I'll say my contract's up in July 2027. But yeah, of course, I look forward to spending as long as I can here.
“The club is sort of ever evolving, every transfer window, every few months, whether that's players, new bits around the training ground, just ourselves as a team, I think we've evolved and evolved over that time. And yeah, it's been great to be a part of it.
“You want to be part of it moving forward, really feel like we've got that first trophy under our belt now and we qualified for the Champions League twice and you're kind of looking to do that back to back.”
Eddie Howe praises Nick Pope
Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe believes Pope is ‘back to his very best’ at Newcastle after recovering from several injury blows over the past couple of seasons.
“When you look back at Nick's seasons, the shoulder injury was a very, very difficult moment for him because for any goalkeeper, if you injure any part of your upper limbs, it's difficult, so it took him a period of time to get back to his very best,” Howe said. “But I think we're seeing that now.
“I think he's been very, very good, made a number of great saves for us. His form has been crucial and will always be crucial because your goalkeeper gives the whole team confidence if he's performing in a really positive way, so congratulations for how he's started the season.”
Following Newcastle’s 2-0 win at home to Chelsea last season, the result that ultimately secured Champions League football for the club, Howe hailed Pope as ‘world-class’.
“I have to mention Nick because those two saves, I thought, were world-class,” Howe said after the Chelsea match. “That’s what he does and for me he’s a giant man, but he’s also a giant presence for us in our goal.
“You’d want no one else in those situations. The span of his arms and the reach that he’s got, they’re two great saves.”
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