The Magpies head to Chelsea on Sunday afternoon (kick-off 4:30pm BST) having already secured a Champions League berth thanks to Monday's draw at home to Leicester.

Howe's men can still secure a top three finish, though that would be dependent on United winning at Stamford Bridge and Manchester United losing or drawing at home to Fulham.

And after a superb campaign, Newcastle's head coach says preparations for next term are already under way as his side bring the curtain down on a magnificent nine months.

Here's what Howe had to say in his final pre-match media briefing of the season:

On Monday's draw which secured a top four finish...

"I'm feeling good. It's been a hectic few days. To be honest, for me, it's onto planning and preparing for next season straight away, really, because once the season ends the players will break and I won't see them again, so there's a lot of work going on behind the scenes.

"But I think it's an incredible achievement, and so pleased that we were able to do it in front of our supporters and get it done there, and the scenes after were brilliant to be part of."

On the prospect of Champions League football at St. James' Park...

"It's an amazing thing. We're looking forward to it, to next season and to the challenge. We've started that preparation and it will be a thing, when we get the draw and see who's in our group, I think that will be when it really kicks off."

On the injury concerns in his squad ahead of the trip to Stamford Bridge...

"I don't think we've got anyone left to rest! We've got a few issues. I think the end of the season has come at a good time for us, because we would have been really stretched.

"Players like Joelinton will miss the game, for example, (Javier) Manquillo will miss the game, and then we've got the others that have been injured going into the Leicester game. We're stretched, but it will give us a chance to have a look maybe at one or two other things."

On whether the last day might be the final time some of his squad feature for the club...

"You can never tell what's going to happen in the future but I don't see that maybe for 95 per cent of the squad. Maybe one or two players might move this summer. It's very difficult to predict.

"I think we have to keep the majority of the squad together - I feel they've earned the right to do that. But we have to be good in the transfer market."

On whether expectations will change next term...

"I don't know if it's something you look forward to - the dynamic will have changed for us. I think we've massively overachieved this year for where we were at the start of the season, and to keep overachieving - and that's what we're going to have to do, to match the expectation - is going to be our biggest challenge."

On Frank Lampard's Chelsea side, who have endured a difficult campaign...

"Next season, I think they'll be a big threat. They've got top quality players - I think that's undoubted - but I think trying to form a team very quickly with a lot of new players is very difficult to do. I think that's probably been their biggest challenge.

"But I think next year a lot of those players will now have had Premier League experience, they will have adjusted to the league, and they'll be a big threat."