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.