Who is Mark Gillespie? Meet Newcastle United’s reserve goalkeeper, who will compete for Carabao Cup final start, and his stunning wife
With Nick Pope suspended, either Mark Gillespie or Loris Karius will start in goal for Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup final against Manchester City.
Gillespie hadn't played for the club in two-and-a-half years before his appearance as a substitute against Liverpool. His last appearance for the Magpies came in a Carabao Cup penalty shootout win against Newport County.
The 30-year-old has been in a relationship with Sally Rae since 2015. The couple often posts snaps of themselves enjoying holidays in exotic locations. Sally is an interior designer.
Gillespie has made only one appearance for the Toons this campaign. Despite being at the club since 2020, Gillespie has played only three games, keeping two clean sheets.
Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe previously said about the player (via The Sun):
“Paul Dummett, Mark Gillespie and Dan Burn are from the local area, it’s great to see.”
Toon fans will be pinning their hopes on the goalkeeper against Manchester United if he starts. Considering he is a fan of UFC superstar Conor McGregor, the custodian is not expected to lack confidence.
Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe claimed Loris Karius is ready to play the Carabao Cup final against Manchester United
Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe recently claimed that Loris Karius is ready to play in the Carabao Cup final against Manchester United. Karius had a horrendous performance against Real Madrid in the final of the 2017-18 UEFA Champions League.
Howe, however, said that he hasn't discussed the match with Karius. He said (via Sky Sports):
"I've never really discussed [the 2018 final] at any length with him, We've all got stuff that's happened in our careers and our histories that you learn from and he's no different in that respect."
Howe further added:
"Since day one, since he's come here, he started where he hadn't had a lot of work before joining us, he's trained with our goalkeeper coaches in a really good way and I think his general performances in training have improved as he's spent more time with us. I think he's in a good place and he's ready to play."
Karius last played for the Turkish league side, Besiktas.