Newcastle United's senior stars can now dream of Champions League nights under the lights at St James' Park after sealing a top-four finish. Eddie Howe's side can no longer be overhauled by Liverpool despite a late rally from Jurgen Klopp's side, with a final-day visit to Chelsea only set to determine whether the Magpies finish third or fourth.
However, it is not only United's first-team stars and supporters who should look forward to a return to facing Europe's elite after an absence of two decades. Newcastle's entry into the Champions League also means the club will enter an academy side into the UEFA Youth League next season, a 64-team tournament featuring every club to qualify for the continent's leading competition.
It will mark the young Magpies' first appearance in the competition following a revamp in 2013, with Barcelona and Chelsea the only two-time winners so far. AZ Alkmaar are the reigning champions after a five-goal thrashing of Hadjuk Split in the final last month.
