MARTIN DUBRAVKA has discussed his future with Eddie Howe, but admits he does not yet know whether he will still be a Newcastle United player next season.

Dubravka made a series of impressive saves as the Magpies rounded off their campaign with a 1-1 draw at Chelsea on Sunday, but the fact that the final-day outing at Stamford Bridge was his first league start of the season underlines just how peripheral a role he has played in the last nine months.

The Slovakian spent the first half of the season on loan at Manchester United after the summer signing of Nick Pope severely limited his first-team opportunities on Tyneside, but returned to the North-East in January when he was unable to force his way into the senior ranks at Old Trafford.

However, he was unable to dislodge Pope from Newcastle’s starting side in the second half of the campaign, meaning he was a regular presence on the substitutes’ bench before Pope’s hand surgery meant he finally got a chance to make a belated first start at Chelsea.

While he is contracted to Newcastle until the summer of 2025, the 34-year-old will almost certainly have summer suitors who are prepared to make him their number one. Howe has made it clear that he does not want to lose him, but Dubravka admits he will have to do some serious thinking about his future over the next couple of months.

“I think it’s normal everyone who has ambition wants to play,” said Dubravka, who is part of a Newcastle goalkeeping group that could undergo significant change this summer with Loris Karius and Mark Gillespie due to become free agents and Karl Darlow having just completed a successful loan spell at Hull City. “But I’m still part of the journey and part of the team which is successful.

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“I don’t know what’s going to happen after the summer, obviously. I had a conversation with Eddie. We had an open conversation about the future. It’s hard to say now, because it’s the end of the season now, and no-one really knows what will happen. It’s hard to give you some answers. Now, I just want to switch off. I have two international game to focus on and that’s my priority now.”

If Sunday’s game is to be Dubravka’s final appearance in a Newcastle shirt, he will at least have signed off with a performance that highlighted the skills and athleticism that made him a first-choice under both Rafael Benitez and Steve Bruce.

His first-half saves from Thiago Silva and Raheem Sterling ensured the Magpies remained on level terms at the interval, while his second-half stop from Sterling prevented Chelsea from claiming a late winner.

“I enjoyed being on the pitch,” said Dubravka. “I enjoyed being on the pitch. I think it was a very interesting game. I tried to do my best, so I was happy I could help the team (with my saves). It was a pity we didn’t win, because I think there was a couple of opportunities where, if we are more clinical, we can score goals.”

Newcastle’s final-day draw means they ended the campaign having failed to lose a single game against any of the teams from eighth position downwards in the table.

Their only league losses came at the hands of Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool and Aston Villa, with their consistency over the course of the 38-game season a key part of their success.

“That’s been the reality of the whole season,” said Dubravka. “You could see from the first game to the last one, we were just working hard and doing everything we could in every match.

“We picked up the results, and I also think people enjoyed watching our games. We were attractive (to watch) and that’s important for the future.”