The Magpies duo, now at Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool, were relegated from the Premier League in 2016, with Steve McClaren in charge for much of that season.
Two players who were part of Newcastle United’s class of 2015-16 which was relegated from the Premier League will be playing in the Champions League final for Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool respectively.
Moussa Sissoko was on the Magpies’ books between 2013, when he joined from Toulouse, and 2016, when he made the switch to Spurs.
Georginio Wijnaldum, meanwhile, had an impressive season in the black and white after switching from PSV Eindhoven in 2015, finishing as their top scorer for the campaign.
He too left after Newcastle dropped to the Championship at the end of the season, making the move to Anfield in the summer.
Three years on and Sissoko has overcome a tricky few years to establish himself as a mainstay in Mauricio Pochettino’s XI as well as becoming a fan favourite.
As for Wijnaldum, he has earned his place in Liverpool folklore after his two goals off the bench in the semi-final second leg against Barcelona.
The Dutchman helped Jurgen Klopp’s side to a 4-3 aggregate win despite being 3-0 down after the first leg at Camp Nou, with Divock Origi getting the other two.
Some Newcastle fans couldn’t help but contemplate what could have been had the club survived in the Premier League that season.
Needless to say, Steve McClaren’s ill-fated time at St James’ Park is getting even more flak on Twitter than it did before amid the latest alumni developments:
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