NOLBERTO Solano has claimed it would be a "tragedy" if Thursday's UEFA Cup defeat in Holland was to represent his final chance of claiming silverware as a Newcastle player.

Solano's current deal expires in the summer and, while Magpies manager Glenn Roeder looks like taking up the option of extending his contract by a further 12 months, it is hardly inconceivable that the Peruvian's nine-year association with Newcastle is drawing to an end.

Despite representing United in an FA Cup final and the second group phase of the Champions League, Solano is yet to taste success in a black-and-white shirt.

And while he has not given up hope of helping to end the club's lengthy trophy drought, the 32-year-old has admitted that this week's European exit dealt his ambitions a significant blow.

"I think I will probably be staying at the club next season so, hopefully, this isn't my last chance of silverware at Newcastle," said Solano, who rejoined the Magpies in August 2005 after a brief 18-month hiatus at Aston Villa.

"I think the manager is happy with me and wants to keep me. But, at 32, you do worry that that is it, you won't win anything.

"It would be tragic for me to have spent so long at a club I love and not to have anything to show for it."

Solano has grown accustomed to failure since leaving Argentinian giants Boca Juniors in August 1998.

The South American has seen Newcastle come close to achieving something tangible on countless occasions, only for the club to fall flat on its face when the pressure has been at its most intense.

Thursday's defeat was particularly demoralising, given that the Magpies enjoyed a three-goal advantage after less than a quarter of the two-legged tie.

Needing only to concede less than two goals in the DSB Stadion to be certain of progressing to the UEFA Cup's last eight, Newcastle's defenders were unable to neutralise their buoyant opponents.

And after plumbing such gut-wrenching depths in Holland, Solano admits it will be difficult for United's players to regroup ahead of tomorrow's Premiership trip to Charlton.

"It's difficult to explain how we played so badly," he said. "But maybe it was the mentality. We were two goals up and it was difficult to know what to do, to attack or sit back and defend.

"We gave the ball away too easily. We knew we had to control the tempo of the game at the start of the match, but we didn't do that and we conceded two poor goals.

"Now, we have to stick together. We have to regroup because it is going to be a rough time for the club after this result."