IT says everything about Philippe Albert’s football philosophy that recalling THAT loss at Liverpool actually makes him smile.
The Newcastle cult hero was a centre-half in name but not in nature, preferring rampaging runs forward to blocks at the back.
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So while Toon fans still have nightmares over Anfield 1996 and its fatal blow to their title bid, Albert does not share their regrets.
The big Belgian, 51, told SunSport: “4-3 – what a football match! I could talk for hours about that game.
“I am not surprised it is remembered as one of the best Premier League games of all time because it had everything.
“When you talk about football like that, you can only be happy, even if the result at the end is against you.
“Those types of games make you proud to have been a professional footballer because they are great memories.
“It is nearly 25 years and people still talk about it – that means a lot to you as a player.”
You would be hard pushed to find anyone else of a black-and-white persuasion speaking so fondly about that famous April night, especially as Newcastle lost having twice led.
Robbie Fowler opened the scoring for Roy Evans’ Liverpool, before Les Ferdinand and David Ginola put the Toon ahead.
Fowler levelled for the hosts, then Tino Asprilla restored Kevin Keegan’s Entertainers’ advantage.
But Stan Collymore equalised again and then hit Liverpool’s legendary 92nd-minute winner.
Albert, who is now a respected TV pundit back in Belgium, admitted: “We were 3-2 up and we played to go 4-2 up and 5-2 up.
“Should we have sat back? No. It was never like that under Kevin.
“We didn’t have the players to play like this and Kevin never asked us to sit back after leading a game. Never.
“Sometimes you lose that type of game, sometimes you win it – but it’s only football.
“At that time at Newcastle, we were used to games like that – we would score loads of goals and sometimes we conceded some.
“But it’s a pleasure to remember and talk about that period.”
Newcastle went to Anfield trailing league leaders Manchester United by three points but, with two games in hand, they were still the masters of their title destiny.
That, though, all changed because of Liverpool’s last-gasp winner and the Toon would never regain top spot that season.
But Saturday the roles are reversed and this time it is Newcastle hosting the Reds with the chance to crush their title dreams.
It is nearly 25 years and people still talk about it
Philippe Albert
Rafa Benitez faces his former club in what is the Toon’s final home game of the campaign – and possibly his last one as manager at St James’ Park.
And Albert thinks a shock could be in store, especially as Jurgen Klopp’s men are coming off the back of Wednesday’s gruelling 3-0 Champions League defeat in Barcelona.
He said: “Newcastle will be playing one of the two best teams in the world.
“But in a one-off game at home, they can beat anybody.
“They beat Manchester City in January so why can’t they do it again?
“If Liverpool only play to 70 or 80 per cent of their capacity, Newcastle can cause a big surprise.
“The stadium will be packed and it will be very, very difficult for Liverpool to go there and get a result, especially with the energy and concentration they used up in Barcelona on Wednesday.
“In England, the last home game is very important as you do a lap of honour afterwards and thank the fans for their support, so you always want a result.
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“Liverpool is a club in Benitez’s heart but he is a competitor and will want to make it difficult for them to beat Newcastle. I think he will be up for it.”
Despite his Newcastle allegiances, Albert would actually rather the title race go right down to the wire.
Again, unsurprisingly given the way he played the game, he admires Klopp and Pep Guardiola’s attacking approach.
And he knows City skipper Vincent Kompany from his time commentating on the Belgium national team.
But Albert, who packed fruit and veg for a living after hanging up his boots, admits he is “sad” that the club he moved to England for in 1994 are so far away from competing for honours themselves.
He added: “25 years ago, we were going for the title. We were going to finish first, second or third.
“We wanted to bring fans some silverware because that’s what they deserve.
“We were not able to do that but it is sad to see Newcastle at the moment struggling and only playing to get safe.
“Benitez is doing a very good job with an average team.
“I am very impressed with the job he has done because the chairman doesn’t give him the money that he wants to compete with the better teams.
“They need him to stay and hopefully something will change in the board and somebody will come with a lot of money to make some big transfers.
“But it’s hard times for the Newcastle fans at the moment.
“In my time, if Keegan rang you and said, ‘Do you want to join Newcastle?’ – nine players out of ten would say, ‘OK I am coming’, even without discussing money.
“Now, if Newcastle phoned a player, they would choose the better team and that’s a problem.
“I think the fans and the club deserve a lot more.”
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