Newcastle United star insists club can take pride in Champions League run after group stage exit

Newcastle United’s Champions League run is over after a 2-1 defeat to AC Milan on Wednesday night. Much like their Champions League campaign as a whole, the Magpies started the clash with Milan well and led through Joelinton in the first-half, however, two clinical AC Milan attacks in the second period was enough for the Serie A giants to grab all three points.

Speaking after the game, a disappointed Dan Burn, who memorably scored his first ever European goal during the win against PSG in possibly the highlight of Newcastle’s run in Europe, revealed he was ‘proud’ of his team’s efforts on the night. Burn said: “Disappointed obviously.

“To be in a position where we were going through at one point to be coming away with not being in Europe at all is really disappointing. I’m proud of the lads and the performance they put in tonight and our campaign as a whole. We’ve shown a good account of ourselves and a few things have happened where it could have been so different.”

Newcastle’s task in their first Champions League campaign in two decades was made very difficult from the very start as they were drawn in the so-called ‘group of death’ alongside previous winners of the competition Borussia Dortmund and AC Milan as well as French giants PSG. Eddie Howe’s side ultimately came unstuck against very experienced European opposition during their time in the competition, but Burn isn’t using that as an excuse for their elimination and reiterated the squad’s desire to test themselves against the very top clubs on the continent.

“We wanted that,” Burn said when asked about the quality of opponents they have faced. “To play in the Champions League, we want to play against the best teams.

“We didn’t work hard last season to get ourselves into this position and not do that. We’ve played some of the best teams that are in the Champions League so to come and put in the performances that we did, albeit not to progress, it is disappointing but I’m very, very proud of the team.”

Howe’s side will now have to pick themselves up for the visit of Fulham in the Premier League at the weekend.