sport news Newcastle legend Nobby Solano talks trophies, trumpets, Maradona and Sting ... trends now
When Nobby Solano walked into a Newcastle bar to meet Alan Shearer recently, he joked about how much his friend had aged. 'You played with me?' said the Peruvian. 'How old are you? Do fans still recognise you?'. He soon had his answer.
Shearer and Solano are adored on Tyneside. Primarily, because they were tremendous players. But there is also the sad reality that they were part of the last Newcastle team who came close to winning anything.
Twenty-four years on from that FA Cup final defeat to Manchester United, the two clubs are on the verge of meeting again at Wembley in the Carabao Cup final.
Newcastle legends like Nobby Solano (pictured) and Alan Shearer are adored on Tyneside
That's because they were part of the last Magpies team who came close to winning anything
Solano felt the love of the Geordie public with Shearer once more that night, as they left behind Harry's Bar on Grey Street - 'It's Alan's favourite, I don't think he has to pay in there!' says Solano - and made their way to St James' Park for the Carabao Cup quarter-final win over Leicester.
On Tuesday night, Eddie Howe's side will make the final should they protect a 1-0 goal advantage against Southampton.
After four years as assistant manager of Peru, Solano returned to Newcastle a few weeks ago and hopes to find a coaching role here. He has met with Sportsmail at a restaurant in the suburb of Gosforth - Shearer's birthplace - and is routinely asked for pictures by fans. He obliges every time.
'This is 15 years since I played here,' he says, embracing the warmth of the people on this winter's day. 'Even when we won the Intertoto Cup in 2006, the fans were celebrating.
'Imagine what it would be like if they won a trophy now. As a player, you'd probably have to move out of the city! It would be crazy. That passion, the appreciation, it's like nowhere else.'
Standing in Shearer's private box before kick-off against Leicester, Solano and the club legend took a moment to reminisce.
'We said to each other, it's only when you're inside the stadium you realise the one thing you miss so much - the pitch. I said to him, 'Look at that carpet, how can you not love playing football on that?'.
'But watching Eddie's side, and that atmosphere, it took me back to our Champions League nights. The team are working so hard. When fans see that, it is when the connection builds.
Solano, speaking exclusively to Sportsmail, has admitted it would be 'crazy' if his former side managed to lift a trophy, on the eve of their Carabao Cup semi-final against Southampton
'I always say to my friends, 'They see you score a free-kick in the top corner and they love it, but if I track back 60 yards and make a sliding tackle, they love it even more.' But Nobby, you didn't track back? 'I did!' he protests. 'OK, sometimes, when I had the energy!'
Solano is laughing, but it leads to a serious point as to why his generation - with Shay Given, Gary Speed, Craig Bellamy and Kieron Dyer - did not win a trophy. The 48-year-old is thinking like a coach and, in keeping with tradition in such scenarios, he has taken hold of the salt and pepper shakers.
'Defensively, we were never strong enough for this type of big game, a final. I'm not talking about the back four, but all of us. We could have been set better. It was like, 'You (picks up salt) have to defend, we (picks up pepper) have to attack'. Now, you defend and attack as a team.'
Ruud Gullit was manager when they lost 2-0 to treble-chasing Man United in 1999. And here is an admission.
'We weren't good enough on the day, but we never prepared,' says Solano. 'I'm not criticising Ruud. That's the way it was. He was 36, not much experience. We just trained normally - seven vs seven, crossing, finishing, boom boom.
It was never like, 'Hey guys, this is one game, let us prepare to face these players'. There was no tactical preparation. It was the same the following year (with Sir Bobby Robson) when we lost 2-1 against Chelsea in the semi-final at Wembley.
'Gus Poyet scored both goals. He is a good friend of mine. We still talk. I said to him, 'Gustavo, what is your problem with Newcastle? You're scoring all the f***ing time against us?!'.
'But there was no concentration on a one-off game, no tactics for certain players. Now, we analyse videos. 'Come on, sit with me, let us watch this player'. Look at Newcastle, they are one of the fittest and best prepared teams in the Premier League.
The Peruvian winger made 314 appearances for the Magpies across two spells, scoring 48
'Eddie is pushing and pushing them. And the players, 70 per cent were already there before he arrived. I'm a coach, I appreciate so much the job he has done.'
But Solano does have one concern - he does not have a ticket for tonight's second leg. 'What's that bar called
