Martin Dúbravka (source: Martin Baumann)
Slovak Martin Dúbravka may have signed a new contract with Newcastle United, but that has not kept him between the posts. Instead, Nick Pope is back as Eddie Howe’s first-choice goalkeeper – and it looks like he will stay there for the rest of the season, reports Spornet.
Dúbravka, 36, had performed well in Pope’s absence, making crucial saves and keeping seven clean sheets in 14 games. He even won the Premier League’s Save of the Month award in January. But once Pope recovered from his knee injury, Howe wasted no time restoring him to the starting XI. Newcastle conceded three against Nottingham Forest in Pope’s return – yet Howe stuck with him for the next match, a 2-0 defeat to Liverpool.
So why the change? Howe did not leave much room for interpretation. “Martin is a top professional, and I have no doubt he’ll handle this situation well,” he said before the Liverpool match. It was a polite way of reaffirming what has been clear for the past three seasons: Pope is the No. 1, and Dúbravka is there only when needed.
Dúbravka arrived at Newcastle United in early 2018. For four seasons, he was Newcastle’s undisputed first-choice goalkeeper. But everything changed in 2022 when Nick Pope joined the club.
Dúbravka is Slovak, Pope is English
There are arguments in Dúbravka’s favour. His shot-stopping ability is on par with Pope’s, and he has proven himself a reliable option. But Pope’s distribution and game-reading give him a slight edge. The biggest factor? Pope is English, and Howe made him a priority signing when Newcastle brought him in from Burnley.
John Anderson, a former Newcastle defender, did not hide his frustration over the decision. “Dúbravka has come in and done really, really well, then they offer him a new contract, and then they drop him. It doesn’t make sense,” he told BBC Radio Newcastle. “I think he’ll feel aggrieved.”
The Slovak goalkeeper has signed a contract extension with Newcastle United until the summer of 2026, a commitment that comes after months of uncertainty about his future.
“I’m really happy to have extended my stay here,” Dúbravka told Slovak broadcaster TV Markíza days after putting pen to paper. “My children were born here, and this club holds a special place in my heart.”
However, unless Pope suffers another injury, it is hard to see Dúbravka getting another Premier League start this season. Howe’s past decisions suggest as much.
Newscastle, Saudi Arabia, or retirement?
For Dúbravka, 2024 was a year of challenges. A five-month battle with mononucleosis left him physically drained, and while still playing for Newcastle, he admitted that he considered a move to Saudi Arabia as his contract in England neared its end. At one point, he even contemplated retirement.
“When the illness finally passed, I wasn’t sure I wanted to continue,” Dúbravka said. “I even thought about ending my career in the summer. Thankfully, the EUROs, the fantastic team spirit, and an incredible experience helped me mentally in ways I didn’t expect.”
But uncertainty still loomed when he returned to Newcastle.
“When Nick [Pope] arrived, he took the No. 1 spot without much of a fight, and I spent months on loan at Manchester United. One year you’re Player of the Season, the next you’re in the stands – that messes with you. But that chapter is behind me now,” he reflected in a February 19 interview with TV Markíza.
However, after filling in for Pope, Dúbravka finds himself back as Newcastle’s No. 2.
“I’m at an age they call a ‘sporting veteran’ here, entering the final years of my career,” Dúbravka also told TV Markíza. “But I’m not ready to settle for being second choice—or worse, third.”
For now, he stays. But what comes next is still very much in the air.
