Martin Dubravka is set to play Newcastle’s Carabao Cup quarter-final against Chelsea (Photo: Getty)
Martin Dubravka has revealed whether or not he received a Carabao Cup winner’s medal after being bizarrely cup-tied for the final between Manchester United and Newcastle United.
The goalkeeper found himself in an usual situation after moving to Old Trafford on loan from Newcastle at the start of last season.
He played twice in the Carabao Cup for United before unexpectedly returning to St. James Park in January, where he remained as the back-up option to Nick Pope.
But the England international found himself suspended for the cup final after a sending off in the Premier League against Liverpool, and under normal circumstances Dubravka would have been called up to play at Wembley.
But as he had already played for the Red Devils, he was ineligible for selection and the Magpies were forced to start Liverpool flop Loris Karius instead, with Newcastle going onto lose 2-0.
Since then, many have wondered whether Dubravka received a winner’s or runners-up medal or both, and the Slovakia International has finally revealed the truth.
‘I got one. I didn’t really expect it because I didn’t know if they would give it to me,’ the 34-year-old said.
Man Utd beat Newcastle 2-0 in last season’s Carabao Cup final (Photo: Getty)
‘It was [weird] but if you think about it, it’s part of the game. I played two matches for them so it was a strange situation to be in, I didn’t want to be in it.’
Dubravka went onto to reveal that he did not receive his prize until five weeks after the final – when United travelled to Newcastle for a league clash.
‘I just opened it, because it was in a little box. I have it at home, but not on display,’ he added.
‘Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a medal, so I still appreciate it. It’s special circumstances and it was weird, obviously, because I wanted Newcastle to win. When we played against Manchester United in the league they brought it up.
Dubravka made two appearances for Man Utd during his half-season loan there (Photo: Getty)
‘The final last season was the strangest game for me, as you can imagine. I played two matches for Manchester United and I was back in the team [at Newcastle] so everyone was asking me who I’m going to support.
‘I always say I always support Newcastle because of the length of time I’ve spent here. It was five-and-a-half years as opposed to five months, so you can’t compare. I wanted Newcastle to win for the city, for the club because the fans are just waiting for something special.
‘It was very stressful to be fair [when he was out on loan], I’m not going to lie, because I didn’t know what to expect when I came back, but I want to be part of the team again.’
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Dubravka has another chance to win the cup this season, and is set to start Newcastle’s quarter-final clash against Chelsea on Tuesday night
‘It would be absolutely fantastic. Everyone is buzzing here and everyone wants to win something and achieve something here and it would be amazing.
‘Look at the stadium and look at the fans, it’s a special place to play so it would be amazing to win something. This region means everything to me. As I said, I’ve spent so much time here.’
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