Martin Dubrakva's telling Newcastle United admission prior to joining Manchester United

The 33-year-old goalkeeper had been a key player for Newcastle ever since his initial loan arrival from Sparta Prague in January 2018.

But after the summer arrival of Nick Pope ahead of the 2022-23 season, the Slovakian’s previously secure spot in the side was lost.

Consequently, Dubravka opted to leave on loan to become Manchester United’s second-choice goalkeeper opposed to Newcastle’s.

Dubravka may have played his final game for Newcastle with The Red Devils having an option to buy the player at the end of the 2022-23 campaign.

Despite the disappointment surrounding Dubravka’s loan move, he leaves the club on a relative high having helped secure Premier League safety against the odds last season.

Newcastle were without a win when Dubravka returned to the side last November following months out due to injury. But under head coach Eddie Howe, the Magpies enjoyed a fine run of form to finish 11th in the Premier League table come the end of the season.

And when asked earlier in the summer if his half-season at Newcastle under Howe was his most enjoyable spell at the club, Dubravka told The Gazette: “I’d say so.

"Everyone has enjoyed it since January. Especially when you’re getting points and the victories, you enjoy the football even more.

"When you are down there fighting for the points like we have been, it’s not easy but once we achieved the points we needed to know that we were safe, after that you could see that everyone enjoyed their football even more.

“You have to give credit to everyone involved but first of all the manager came in with his own philosophy. Every player believed this is the way we should do it and we stick with a plan even in tough situations sometimes we get slapped but that’s how it is in the Premier League.

"I’m happy we were able to finish the season well because it had been a very long and tough season.”

Although Dubravka would eventually lose his place to a new signing, he pointed to Newcastle’s January additions of Kieran Trippier, Chris Wood, Bruno Guimaraes, Dan Burn and Matt Targett as a key factor behind the club’s 2022 turnaround.

“I have to give credit to the guys who came in during the [January] transfer window because they brought in something special to the team again,” he added.

"We have very good quality in defence and such a good group of people in the dressing room. Sometimes, certain players didn’t play but they weren’t pissed or angry that they weren’t picked.

"Everyone was in the same boat and pulling in the same direction and I think you could see that on the pitch.”

Dubravka went on to pay respect to the Newcastle supporters for sticking by the club.

“We knew where we were in January and no one really believed in us outside of Newcastle,” he continued. “I have to say the Newcastle fans always stuck with us and believed that we would survive and stay in the Premier League. Their support, home and away, has been incredible.

"I’m so happy that we proved a lot of people wrong and showed how good we were.”