Newcastle United's Carabao Cup-winning heroes jetted off on a celebratory trip to Dubai after ending 70 years of waiting at Wembley last week. But despite guiding them to a historic upset against Liverpool, Magpies head coach Eddie Howe was nowhere to be seen amongst the travelling party. The Toon stunned the soon-to-be Premier League champions with a deserved 2-1 win courtesy of goals from Dan Burn and Alexander Isak, ending their eternal wait for silverware and the first since their Saudi owners completed their £300million takeover in 2021.
With the upcoming international break giving them a perfect opening to book a trip abroad, the Newcastle stars who were not called up by their national team decided to make the most of their time off. Images emerged online of members of the squad playing golf and socialising at the Arabian Ranches Golf Club in the UAE, report the Daily Mail. Later in the trip, they revelled in a party atmosphere at the One & Only resort and sipped drinks at O Beach, located near the Dubai Marina. Kieran Trippier and Callum Wilson were among the players to pose for pictures together, with the capped England internationals taking a dip in the pool at beach club DRIFT, complete with a glass of drink in their hand.
In another group photo, Sean Longstaff, Matt Targett, Harvey Barnes, John Ruddy, Jacob Murphy and Fabian Schar were spotted sitting at a table together with orange beverages.
Howe's absence may have caught some Newcastle supporters off-guard, but the 45-year-old had a 'family matter' to attend to. He did, however, join up with the squad later on the trip and was able to relax in the Emirati sunshine.
Few would begrudge the squad a chance to let loose after winning their first trophy since 1955, while their next fixture isn't due to be played until April 2 when they host Brentford at St James' Park.
After a well-earned break, Howe will no doubt have his players working hard during their warm-weather training camp before returning to the North East in due course, with a city-wide celebration set to take place next week.
The entire squad will appear on stage at the Town Moor at 6pm on Saturday, March 29 as they parade the trophy in front of the passionate Toon fanbase - with 100,000 fans estimated to attend throughout the day.
Plans are still being finalised with police and the local council, but it is hoped that the players will get the chance to ride a bus through the city centre. Once the celebrations are over, Newcastle will go back to business as they prepare for a tense showdown in the final weeks of the season.
Howe's men currently sit sixth in the Premier League standings and are in hot pursuit of a top-four finish, with Chelsea and Manchester City a few points above them.
England's top ranking in the UEFA Coefficient race means they are all but certain to gain an extra place in continental competition, which means a fifth-place finish could be enough to secure Champions League football.