Eddie Howe was standing so close to the Carabao Cup that the Newcastle United head coach could have picked up the trophy and lifted it into the sky while he was interviewed by broadcasters pitchside. It was a rather fitting image on a night where the Magpies moved one step closer to taking the trophy home by finally reaching their first League Cup semi-final in 47 years following a 2-0 win against Leicester City at St James' Park.
This competition has been sneered at over the years - even by influential figures who called the shots at Newcastle in a previous era - but not anymore. You only had to witness the scenes after the final whistle to realise that after tens of thousands of supporters stayed behind to applaud players and staff off the field when, at other clubs, a quarter-final win might not be celebrated so gratefully. It felt like a glimpse into a bright future.
Fans, still on a high from Dan Burn and Joelinton's goals, raised their scarves aloft as they sang along to 'Hey Jude!'; Miguel Almiron clenched his fists on the victory lap; Burn even danced in the dressing room...if these were the scenes after a quarter-final win, can you imagine what it would be like if this side one day ended the club's trophy drought?
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That wait for silverware stretches back to 1969 when Newcastle won a competition, the Fairs Cup, that no longer even exists. So many greats have come close to banishing those ghosts, including Alan Shearer, Shay Given and Nolberto Solano, who were among those former players present at St James' on Tuesday night who could only watch on, helpless, as the cups were neglected in a previous era. Those days have now been consigned to the past.
“It’s nice to have any support, especially from three legends of the football club," Howe told reporters. "I’m delighted they were here and delighted they were here to see the team play so well. I’m very keen to integrate former players into part of what we’re doing, so it’s great we all share in the success we’ve had."
You suspect Shearer and co approved of Newcastle's dominant performance against a Leicester side who have real cup pedigree themselves after previously winning the FA Cup and reaching six cup quarter-finals under Brendan Rodgers. Yet even Rodgers could not help but admit that the 'best team won' as the Leicester boss congratulated Newcastle and paid tribute to the Magpies for 'playing with more quality than us'.
That quality eventually told on the hour mark when Dan Burn scored his first goal for his boyhood club right in front of the Gallowgate End. Burn squeezed past two Leicester defenders before rifling the ball home with his weaker right foot to take the roof off this old stadium and send the towering left-back sliding in front of the corner flag.
It was a special moment. The Geordie, who was released by the club he loved at the age of 11, never thought he would get the chance to come back yet here he was having his name sung by 52,000 of his own: 'He's from Blyth! You'll never ever beat Dan Burn!'
If Burn was an unlikely scorer, well, the same can no longer be said of Joelinton, who fired in Newcastle's second. Joelinton is a player reborn under Eddie Howe - wherever he plays - and there were 72 minutes on the clock when Miguel Almiron's defence-splitting pass played the Brazilian in. Joelinton may have fluffed his lines in a previous era, but, this time, he ruthlessly fired the ball past Leicester 'keeper Danny Ward into the net.
Newcastle were in dreamland yet these were the kind of nights the group have been building towards for months now. Howe spoke to his squad about creating their 'own history' earlier this season while the players have talked of doing 'something special' since pre-season. Now, remarkably, Newcastle are just a semi-final win away from Wembley.
That certainly would be special and the players know what is at stake - whoever they face over two legs in the last four. Burn has already told his team-mates they would be 'gods' if they could one day end the club's trophy drought while even the measured Howe has visualised that prospect to believe it is possible.
There is a lot of work to do to make that dream a reality, but Newcastle are a step closer. No wonder supporters sang: 'Tell me Ma, me Ma. I won't be home for tea. We're going to Wembley!' at full-time.
What a contrast to the scenes at Hillsborough three nights previously when Newcastle were dumped out of the FA Cup by League One side Sheffield Wednesday. This was already a huge match, but it took on even greater significance following that shock defeat.
As remarkable as this season has been - Newcastle are flying in third place in the Premier League, after all - another cup loss in such quick succession would have been devastating. However, you quickly sensed players and staff were not about to let that happen.
Alexander Isak said that when he looked around the away dressing room at Hillsborough after that 2-1 defeat, he could 'really see we want to bounce back'. Jacob Murphy even went as far as to say it was the 'biggest game in our lives'. Howe treated it as such as the Newcastle boss went full strength against Leicester City.
Unlike at Hillsborough, those changes strengthened rather than weakened the Newcastle XI after Nick Pope, Kieran Trippier, Fabian Schar, Dan Burn, Bruno Guimaraes, Joe Willock, Miguel Almiron and Callum Wilson were all recalled to the starting line-up. They were all eager to bounce back from Newcastle's first defeat since August.
In fact, a few of the starting XI looked further inspired by the welcome they received when they made their way out of the tunnel on Tuesday night after they were greeted by the sight of tens of thousands of supporters twirling their black-and-white scarves and waving flags. Wor Flags urged fans to bring their scarves and that message was heard loud and clear in scenes reminiscent of Alan Shearer's testimonial in 2006.
It felt like a European night, a real occasion, and the players quickly fed off that energy. While this was always going to be a very different game to when the teams last met in the Premier League 15 days previously, when Newcastle raced into a 3-0 lead, Howe's side raced out of the blocks once more.
Sean Longstaff could have even given Newcastle the lead after just 42 seconds, but the midfielder somehow missed the target from close range after getting on the end of Joe Willock's cross. Bruno Guimaraes (twice), Longstaff (again) and Joelinton, whose deflected effort hit the bar, all went close before the Magpies finally broke the deadlock on the hour mark.
It was a goal made and finished by Burn. Pressing high up the pitch, the defender blocked Marc Albrighton's attempted clearance and although the ball fell to Timothy Castagne, the Belgium international could only pass it to Willock under pressure. Willock then calmly played the ball back to Joelinton, who sent Burn on his way with a smart lay-off.
Burn still had an awful lot to do, but the 30-year-old shrugged off two Leicester defenders before hooking the ball into the bottom corner with his right foot. Newcastle had lift off and it soon got even better for the hosts in the 71st minute when Almiron cut Leicester's defence open and Joelinton coolly slotted the ball past Ward to seal the win and leave Geordies daring to dream.
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