Eddie Howe has further motivation to use the Carabao Cup final victory to spur Newcastle United on in their league form.
The 47-year-old may well already be considered a club legend after guiding the Mags to a magnificent trophy to end their 70-year drought but can make our dream even better if we can repeat our 2022/23 Champions League qualification.
Newcastle will play in Europe next season. Victory in the EFL Cup confirmed that we will play in the European Conference League, it now seems that top five will secure UCL football – and Howe has even more reason to push for it, as if he needs it.
If Eddie Howe can guide Newcastle to Champions League football next season he will earn himself a 50% pay rise and net himself an extra £3 million a year, according to [The Telegraph’s](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2025/03/17/eddie-howe-3-million-pay-rise-newcastle-champions-league/) Luke Edwards.
The Magpies can build momentum from Sunday’s 2-1 cup final win over Liverpool at Wembley and push on to finish in a qualifying spot for Europe’s premiere domestic competition next season, with a top-five finish on course to be enough.
As The Telegraph report, Howe currently earns £6 million-a-year but would see his Newcastle salary go up to £9 million, with this clause agreed upon when the club’s owners rewarded the Toon boss with a new long-term contract until 2028 last year.
Yasir Al-Rumayyan has promised ambitious recruitment this summer and backed Howe once again during meetings on Tyneside last month, though the calibre of player that sporting director Paul Mitchell will be able to attract could hinge on Toon’s European standing.
Howe is settled in the north east with his family, his youngest son a “full Geordie” according to the man himself, and with his contract with the Mags until 2028 he can build an all-time legacy on Tyneside.
Former co-owner Mehrdad Ghodoussi went on the record that he wants the gaffer to be our ‘very own Sir Alex Ferguson’ in a previous interview and to build a trophy laden career with Newcastle.
Sunday’s win is hopefully the catalyst towards a successful spell with him at the helm. So many years of heartbreak, hurt and failed promise. 90 minutes of football at Wembley and the landscape of this great club has completely changed.
His first major trophy, a potential pay-rise on the horizon and legendary status secured. What’s next for Eddie? A statue outside our stadium at this rate!