Magpies can learn form European lessons - O'Brien

Newcastle defender Andy O’Brien is confident the highs and lows his side have experienced in their last two dramatic European campaigns can help launch their latest adventure in style.

Under former boss Bobby Robson, the Magpies reached the second stage of the Champions League and the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup to make their presence felt on the big stage.

New manager Graeme Souness will lead them into their first European tie of this season when Israeli cup winners Hapoel Bnei Sakhnin visit St James’ Park tonight and O’Brien believes the lessons he and his team-mates have learned over the last two years will serve them well.

“You get self-belief and confidence,” he said. “You work hard during the season in all the competitions and try to gain European qualification.

“Everybody is striving for the Champions League, the top four. We, unfortunately, missed out on that last year, but it’s important that the hard work that we put into the games last year pays off with a good run in he UEFA Cup.

“It gives you experience against good teams, and to be able to travel the world and get paid for something that you enjoy doing is something not a lot of people can say.

“We’ve got to enjoy it and we’ll enjoy it, obviously, if we get the right result.”

Newcastle shook off their early-season disappointments with a resounding 3-0 win over Blackburn on Saturday and O’Brien is confident there is more to come.

“In the games this season we haven’t played particularly badly but football is a results business and we didn’t get them early on,” he said.

“You’d accept playing badly every week and winning.

“Obviously, the performance on Saturday was good. We got the goals and we kept a clean sheet, which was an ideal start.”

Souness was high in the stands at St James’ on Saturday as his new side dismantled his old one, and will be in the dug-out for the first time tonight.

Having gained huge experience in Europe both as a player and manager he knows there is no room for complacency even against an unfancied outfit.

However, he is expecting his Premiership stars to make their quality count even if he does choose to rest some of his more senior players.

“We have a squad of players here in which every one of them wants to play every game,” he said.

“That’s not going to be possible for different reasons, but we’ll be fielding a team we think can win this game and win it well, and with one eye on the game at Southampton on Sunday.”

Nicky Butt, Olivier Bernard and Darren Ambrose all return to the squad after recovering from hamstring, ankle and knee injuries respectively, but Titus Bramble remains on the sidelines with a hamstring problem.