'Finishing third hurt' - Inside story of Newcastle United's title challenge in 2003

Olivier Bernard admits Newcastle United's underplayed title challenge from 2003 "still hurts" when he looks back on it almost two decades later.

The popular former full-back was a regular in Sir Bobby Robson's side when the club finished in their highest position this century, ending the campaign in third behind Arsenal and Manchester United but ahead of Chelsea and Liverpool no less.

Back then Bernard forged a potent combination down the left-hand side with Laurent Robert and provided the ammo for Alan Shearer and Craig Bellamy in attack.

In a season in which Shearer netted 25 goals, the Magpies stayed in touch with the big guns and took the title fight until April before securing third place and a place in the Champions League.

Bernard told Chronicle Live: "We were close - we had the quality, no doubt, but I include myself in this, we were a young side.

"For a Premier League team to be challenging for two years in a row we had a lot of players who didn't have experience.

"We had Jermaine Jenas, Craig Bellamy, myself, Kieron Dyer and Shola Ameobi for example.

"In fact, we only had Alan Shearer that had been there and done it, in terms of winning a title.

"Alan was considered one of the best in the Premier League and rightly so.

"The rest of us I think we were too naïve as a young group."

Bernard, now a match day hospitality ambassador at St James' Park, and owner of Blyth pub the Mason Arms, has his own views on why Newcastle fell short in the 2002/03 season.

Bernard said: "As a youngster, you just want to give 100% home and away, we were probably giving 110%, which the fans want to hear but physically you can't do that when you are playing a Champions League campaign and a Premier League season.

"In the end, we