Watch: Brilliant moment when Eddie Howe interrupts on-field post-match interview to hand out praise

Newcastle United spoiled Ange Postecoglou's homecoming by beating Tottenham Hotspur in a penalty shoot-out at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Wednesday.

With the score tied at 1-1 thanks to first-half strikes from James Maddison for Spurs and Alexander Isak for the Magpies, when the full-time whistle blew the managers shook hands on the touchline as they usually do after a game.

Except, nobody seemed to have told them, or indeed the match commentators that in the event of a draw the game goes to penalties.

Spurs went up first with substitute goalkeeper, and mostly forgotten man, Mark Gillespie saving the first spot-kick. Newcastle went on to score all of their efforts, which included one from Aussie Garang Kuol.

Eddie Howe interrupted Mark Gillespie's post-match interview

NUFC TV caught up with Gillespie on the pitch for an interview after the game which was noticed by the gaffer who seized the opportunity to butt in and heap praise on the fourth-choice keeper for what he does behind the scenes for the club.

"I just wanted to step in, if I may. The work this guy's put in this season has just been incredible and I think, too often we'll always talk about the players who are playing but never enough about the players who aren't playing who contribute so much and Mark is one of those.

"His attitude to training is ridiculous every day. Day in, day out, but he's always there for the players to help them get better and you need a goalkeeper that's going to be there and train every day and be as consistent as Mark is.

"Those experiences for Mark, I'm so pleased for him because of what he gives every day, and there's a lot of players like mark in the squad that characterise our success so I just wanted to say that to Mark and share in that moment with him."

Gillespie has made just three competitive appearances for Newcastle

Gillespie, a lifelong Newcastle fan, has been at the club since 2020 but has yet to make his Premier League debut having only appeared three times for the Magpies in competitive games, those all coming in the Carabao Cup in the 2020/21 season.

Despite his lack of game time, Gillespie has just been given a new deal by the club at a time where Loris Karius is on the way out and Martin Dubravka looks set to follow him out the door.

It was a head-scratcher for many fans, but after that interview interruption from Eddie Howe, it gives us a peek behind the curtain into Howe's thinking behind the new deal.