EDDIE Howe insists there wasn't one particular moment this season when it dawned on him that Champions League qualification was a genuine possibility for Newcastle United.

For Howe, priority number one this season was ensuring the Magpies didn't get sucked into another relegation fight and over the course of the campaign the head coach came to realise that his side were capable of sticking around at the top end of the table.

The only drop-off in form came around the time of the Carabao Cup final in February - understandable, says Howe on reflection - but United recovered remarkably well from that blip to finish the season strongly and secure a top four finish with a game to spare.

"There wasn't one moment in my mind where I thought we can get into the top four, it just grew on us where we were consistent and kept winning games and dealing with setbacks really well," said Howe.

"The World Cup break was key and how we'd come back. We came back brilliantly. The only period where I felt we lost focus slightly was around the Carabao Cup final but that's only natural, they're human beings and once that was over we got back on it."

When Howe arrived late in 2021, Newcastle were winless in the Premier League and facing the very real prospect of relegation to the Championship. Howe had been out of work for more than a year after leaving Bournemouth following their relegation, and with Unai Emery having been first choice for the Newcastle job before deciding at the time to stay with Villarreal, Howe admits the pressure was on.

He knew his first job was to keep the Magpies up but beyond that primary ambition, he aimed high.

"I had a lot to prove but when I came here creating history and trying to bring success to Newcastle was very much on our minds," he says.

"Hopefully this is the start for us. You never know what's around the corner but we'll enjoy this moment."

Did Howe genuinely believe a top four finish was possible in his first full season in charge?

"I don't think you can necessarily believe, you can hope," he says.

"In this job we're in it's very precarious, your future and fate hangs in the balance regularly. You hope, hope you can bring success and be consistent in your work and the players respond to it. Bringing memories and hope to the supporters is what drives me."

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Newcastle's season threatened to peter out when they went on a five-match winless run in the league around the Carabao Cup final, their first domestic cup final appearance in 24 years, but they rallied incredibly well after the heartbreak of that Wembley defeat.

"It's a slightly different feeling," said Howe, comparing the guarantee of a top four finish to making the League Cup final earlier this season.

"With the cup final, you're going to win a competition and a trophy, which was very high on our priority list when I came here.

"This is a different accomplishment. Now, we're going into the best competition. I don't think that achievement should be underestimated. To break that monopoly of the top four is so tough. It's a massive achievement for us."

Newcastle have enjoyed some glorious victories and performances over the course of the season but for Howe one in particular stands out - the 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest on the first weekend.

"My mind and memory blurs into one but I'll go back to the start I think," he said.

"The first game of the season is really important. The performance against Nottingham Forest was really good and in some respects that sets the marker for what's to follow. We never really looked back from that moment."