MIDFIELDER Gary Speed has warned that Newcastle United are on a mission to conquer Europe.

The Welsh international believes the Magpies, two victories from reaching the last eight of the Champions League for the first time, are potential future winners of the competition.

Sir Bobby Robson's men will be sure of a quarter-final place if they beat Inter Milan at the San Siro on Tuesday week and Barcelona at St. James' Park eight days later.

Tall order though that is, 3-1 home-and-away wins over Bayer Leverkusen have rekindled belief that the Geordies can prolong their roller-coaster European journey.

United staged an astonishing recovery to qualify from the first group phase after losing their opening three games.

Following defeats by Inter and Barca at the start of the second group phase, United are now attempting a similar feat to make the knockout stage and maintain their challenge at home and abroad.

The remarkable Robson, 70 last week, has steered his side to third place in the Premiership and a return to the Champions League next season already looks likely.

Speed, who at 33 is aware that his playing days might be over when Robson's young outfit reach their peak, said: "I am sure the Champions League is a competition Newcastle could win one day.

"It is a competition the club deserves to be in because of its size and its fans, and we will do our best to get them there again next year.

"With the quality of the players we have here, and the average age, if we can keep working hard and improving as individuals and as a team - and keep this crop of players - I think the future is very exciting at Newcastle.

"This is an exciting team to be part of.

"There is some great talent about and some great talent not even in the team because it is a big squad.

"But you need that when you are playing at the level we are. Our squad is very strong, so it all bodes well.

"The immediate concern is qualifying from our group. Winning in Milan is a must, realistically, if we are to progress.

"But we were in this sort of position in the first phase of the competition and we beat Juventus here, so who is to say we cannot go on and beat Inter and then Barcelona?

"We just have to go for it. It is a fantastic position to be in and who says we cannot do it again?

"Confidence comes from winning games with good performances and that is what we have been doing lately."

Skipper Alan Shearer fired a first-half hat-trick against Leverkusen on his return from a two-match UEFA ban to cock another snook at his critics.

Shearer, who now has 21 goals this season, scored in open play in the Champions League for the first time, and said: "I've been used to people talking about me for years, whether it's good or bad, so I have learned to live with it and answer them in my own way.

"In particular, my good pal Mike Newell at Hartlepool has kept reminding me that he scored a hat-trick in the Champions League against Rosenborg when we were teammates at Blackburn.

"He used to point out that I had not, but he can't throw that one at me any more!"

* Newcastle will be competing in the FA Premier League Asia Cup along with Birmingham and Chelsea in Malaysia next summer.

The four-team tournament, which will also involve the Malaysian national side, will be staged between July 24 and 27 to mark the launch of televising the Premier League in Malaysia.

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