Eddie Howe has revealed that he shed a 'very small' tear on his first victory lap as Newcastle United boss. That 1-0 win against Burnley feels like a lifetime ago now. A time before the arrival of Kieran Trippier, Dan Burn and Bruno Guimaraes in Howe's crucial first transfer window. A time before Newcastle were challenging for a place in Europe.
However, it was a significant afternoon. Not only was it Newcastle's first win under Howe - it was the relegation-threatened Magpies' first triumph of a testing season in December, 2021.
"Looking back, that was a key moment," Howe told Optus Sport. "We were desperate for that first win. At the time, we came to a new club and you want to start well. You want to have a positive feeling.
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"We were in big relegation trouble and we knew that time was running out for us. That first win was scrappy - it was hard work - but to actually get over the line...that feeling when the whistle went was a huge moment."
When asked if he shed a tear as he approached the Gallowgate End afterwards, on a day those who stayed behind repeatedly chanted 'Eddie Howe's black and white army!', the Magpies boss added: "A very small one because you're trying to build a relationship with supporters all the time. You're trying to prove that you are worthy of the position.
"You are trying to prove that you respect the position you've been put in and I was trying to earn that in the early stages. That moment, in itself, helped build that trust."
