Karius' partner shares heartfelt letter on 'painful years' ahead of Newcastle final

The German is set to make his Newcastle debut in the Wembley showpiece against Manchester United, following Nick Pope's suspension and Martin Dubravka being cup-tied.

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Karius has endured a difficult time since his last appearance for a Premier League club in the 2018 Champions League final.

The 29-year-old lined up for Liverpool in the final in Kyiv but a nightmare display ended in a 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid and his cut short his time at Anfield.

But now his partner Diletta Leotta has written a letter of support to the shot-stopper ahead of the final.

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"I would like to write this letter to you tomorrow, or later, once the game taking you back on the pitch after these two interminable, painful and incredible years is over," Leotta told The Athletic.

"The two years of sad nights, the knot in your throat and the bad thoughts that kept you away from playing, but not from your greatest passion; the green football pitch that makes millions of children dream every day.

"A big thank you to your team and the strength you've been able to find in one another. Of course, we don't deny it, the blow was hard, but, as you taught me, life is 10 per cent what happens to you and 90 per cent how you decide to react.

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"Sometimes you need to take a step back in order to make a better run-up and I am sure this run-up will lead you and the whole team to fly. No one deserves it more."

Karius has not played a competitive football match for two years leaving Newcastle fans wondering how he will react to the high-octane nature of a cup final.

After his two Champions League final errors Karius was loaned to Turkish side Besiktas before spending a year in his homeland with Union Berlin.

He arrived on Tyneside last September as backup for Pope but has not made a single appearance for the Magpies.

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But a baptism of fire awaits at Wembley after Pope was dismissed in Newcastle's 2-0 defeat to Liverpool last weekend.

Pope hurried out of his area and handled the ball in a momentary rush of blood that has had dire consequences for the former Burnley goalkeeper.

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Meanwhile, Martin Dubravka's loan spell at Manchester United earlier this season put paid to his chances of deputising for Pope at Wembley.