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In the early hours of Monday morning (AEST), Newcastle United were in London to play their final game of the Premier League season against Brentford.
On Wednesday night, they will be playing against Tottenham Hotspur at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Talk about a hectic schedule.
It's all part of Global Football Week, where Newcastle's men's team will feature alongside Spurs men, Arsenal women and the men's and women's A-League All-Stars teams.
The Sporting News spoke with Newcastle manager Eddie Howe to discuss his team's preparation and plans for Melbourne.
BUY: Grab your tickets now to see Spurs take on Newcastle this Wednesday 22nd from Ticketek
Newcastle United in Australia: Eddie Howe wants to 'embrace' Melbourne trip
Newcastle may be based in England's north, but they have plenty of fans spread all over the globe.
A concentrated pocket of those supporters live in Australia, and they will have the chance to see their team in action this week in Melbourne.
"It is a chance for us to play in front of a lot of people that wouldn't normally get that opportunity," Howe said.
"So I think we want to give a good representation of ourselves.
"We want to embrace everything about the trip, so we want to be very welcoming to everyone that we meet and thank the supporters for coming to watch us play."
Howe believes the trip is the perfect opportunity not just to play in front of their existing fans, but also potentially new followers to the club.
"Hopefully, everyone enjoys it ... it's really important [to travel abroad], and we're continually looking to grow as a football club," he added.
"We're looking to grow our supporter base, so we need to provide a good account of ourselves and showcase Newcastle in the right way. We've got an incredible squad of brilliant people."
BUY: Grab your tickets now to see Spurs take on Newcastle this Wednesday 22nd from Ticketek
In their second match on Friday, May 24, Newcastle will play the A-League All Stars Men side at Marvel Stadium.
While Howe admits he isn't overly familiar with Australia's domestic scene, he is looking forward to learning about the standard of football in the country, and potentially spotting some fresh talent.
"From our perspective, and very much when you're in the Premier League, the focus remains on the Premier League," he explained.
"One of the exciting things about going [to Australia is] we can learn a lot more about the style and standard of football in Australia.
"One of the benefits of playing teams from across the world is that you get an opportunity to look at the the opposition and the standard of players ... it certainly will help our education.
Will Garang Kuol play for Newcastle in Melbourne?
BUY: Grab your tickets now to see Spurs take on Newcastle this Wednesday 22nd from Ticketek
Howe acknowledges it will be challenging for players to back up just three days after a Premier League clash, so he intends to use the entire squad across the two matches.
"It's a good opportunity for [all our players] to showcase their talents," the 46-year-old manager said.
"With two games in very quick succession, we will utilise the whole squad.
"So whether that's players that haven't played as many minutes, players coming back from injury, young players, we will try to give them an opportunity to play.
We've got to manage the two long flights, especially after the last game being so close to these games."
One of those players likely to see some minutes is Australian young gun Garang Kuol, who has spent the season on loan at Dutch club Volendam.
He has scored one goal in 15 Eredivisie appearances this campaign.
The teenager will now be reunited with his parent club for their trip to Melbourne, where Howe is excited to see him in action.
"We get a few updates from our team of people following the loan players around the world, so we have been fully kept up to date with his season," he said.
"I think it's been a different season for him ... he's had challenges.
"But that's the beauty of going on loan – I think you always get a chance to learn and grow.
"Certainly, he's a talented player and has a bright future ahead of him, so we look forward to seeing him out there [in Melbourne]."
Global Football Week schedule in Melbourne
| Date | Time (AEST) | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wed May 22 | 7:45pm | Tottenham vs. Newcastle | MCG |
| Fri May 24 | 5:15pm | Newcastle vs. A-League All Stars Men | Marvel Stadium |
| Fri May 24 | 7:45pm | Arsenal Women vs. A-League All Stars Women | Marvel Stadium |
How to watch Global Football Week: TV channel, live streaming options
All Global Football Week matches will be televised live on television via 10Bold.
They will also be streamed via Paramount+, which is also available via Amazon Prime.
If Global Football Week is not available to watch live in your location or if you’re travelling abroad, you can use a VPN. VPNs provide a secure and private online connection, allowing you to bypass geographical restrictions to access your favourite streaming services from any device anywhere in the world.
