Newcastle face Manchester United in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday, and in a remarkable turn of events, Loris Karius looks set to start for the Magpies.
Indeed, with Nick Pope suspended and Martin Dubravka cup-tied, Karius has somehow become the de facto number one this weekend.
This will be Karius’ first appearance for an English club since that fateful 2018 Champions League final. By the time Sunday’s game comes around, it will be 1737 days since Karius made those dreadful mistakes in Kyiv that cost Liverpool the Champions League against Real Madrid.
It’s almost a cruel irony that Karius’ next appearance after that Champions League final will be another high-stakes final in the same week that Liverpool are playing Real Madrid in the Champions League.
As we all know, Karius’ career was pretty-much ruined by that one evening. His confidence was shot during that game, and he never recovered, hence why he’s gone from being Liverpool’s number one goalkeeper to being Newcastle’s third-choice.
However, this game represents a chance to bury those demons once and for all.
Since that game, Karius hasn’t had the chance to redeem himself in a high-pressure situation like this, and on Sunday, he can prove to the world, and more importantly himself, that he has what it takes to deal with this kind of occasion, and maybe, just maybe, a triumphant performance on Sunday could help him get back to his best.
Let’s not forget, Karius was not a bad goalkeeper to begin with. He actually earned a lot of praise at Liverpool before that Champions League final, and you don’t become the number one at a club like Liverpool unless you’re talented.
However, when a goalkeeper loses their confidence, there’s often no coming back, and that has proven to be the case with the German. Until now, that is.
This game is the perfect chance for Karius to reclaim his lost honour. He can take control of his own narrative and become the hero of a cup final after living with the indignity of being arguably the biggest joke figure in football over the past five years.
A good performance here may only be the difference between Newcastle winning or losing a cup final, Karius’ entire career and legacy may hinge upon this.
This could be one of the great redemption stories in football history, and this represents a rare chance for a player to truly rewrite his story and change how he is perceived in the wider footballing world.
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