Newcastle United ace Dan Burn knows that the Magpies must take one step at a time when it comes to qualifying for Europe - but admits that the summer clash with Benfica gave him a real taste for Continental competition.
As Newcastle celebrate their year anniversary since the Middle East takeover, they will do so sitting in what will be a Europa Conference League place at the end of the season. The competition is still in its infancy after a UEFA revamp but Toon fans would not complain about it at the end of the season and it was good enough for Jose Mourinho's Roma last term.
Of course, it's still early days but Burn says that the narrow 3-2 loss against Benfica left him hungry for more last summer.
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Burn told Chronicle Live: "I think even in pre-season against Benfica going to the game on the team bus had that type of atmosphere. We had a police escort travelling to stadium - it was weird!
"We could hear all the Benfica fans at the stadium it felt like a European night for us. When I was a kid I watched Newcastle in the Champions League.
"It felt like that and at a point it's where we want the club to back to. It was a taste of what could be. Pre-season was really good for us and set us up well. Playing against a team like Benfica and going toe to toe with them, shows that, we had some good tests."
Newcastle spent most of last season fending off the threat of relegation but have only lost once in eight games this term and are looking up the table. Burn signed for £13million in January from Brighton and knows the club have made great strides since the takeover.
The Geordie said: "We have come a long way. Since the takeover happened we have grown. We have had trips away and they have really brought the lads together.
"It's important because you can integrate new signings. The end of last season was so quick-paced because we were trying to pick up as many results as we could.
"We didn't really get a chance to play the way we wanted to play. But we are now seeing some good patterns."
Burn has previously spoken of Eddie Howe's desire to play with purpose and the slogan: "Intensity is our identity" has been displayed in the changing rooms.
Burn said: "If you look at say the Arsenal game last season, the intensity we play at, we want to do that week in, week out.
"We need to prepare physically to do that. It was tough in the summer but enjoyable. We worked on stuff we need to. Stuff we couldn't last season because we needed results."
For Burn personally he could not have believed his boyhood dream would come true on the back of the Newcastle takeover. This time last year he was playing for Brighton and living 300 miles from home.
Burn said: "It could not have been any better. I came in full of confidence because I'd been playing really well at Brighton at centre-back.
"I started well and when you are winning games you can kick on. I was really happy with the way I started my career at Newcastle. It couldn't be better."
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