“Me and Michael would always talk, every day, without fail,” says Ethan Devine.

On December 30, Devine sent Michael Newberry, the former Newcastle United youngster and his title-winning Linfield team-mate and close friend, a message on his 27th birthday. It will be forever unopened. Michael, a defender with Cliftonville in the Northern Irish Premiership, had passed away suddenly.

Michael’s life revolved around football and growing up on Stanhope Street — less than a 10-minute walk from Newcastle United’s home, St James’ Park — was only ever going to be defined by the city’s football club. The defender joined Newcastle’s academy aged 11 and, seven years later, won the highly coveted Wor Jackie Trophy: awarded to the club’s most promising youth prospect each season, ahead of future first-team regular Sean Longstaff.

Injuries prevented Michael from a first-team appearance at Newcastle, but he carved out a professional career in Iceland and, later, Northern Ireland, playing at Linfield alongside Devine as they won a league title together in 2022. “We became close, along with a few others,” says Devine. “It was Michael who helped mature me as a man. He kept me on the right path and was such an important person in my life.”

Cliftonville travel from the north of Belfast to the south of the capital to take on Michael’s former club Linfield today in the first meeting since his passing. His team-mates, friends and family are still trying to come to terms with their loss.

On an icy lunchtime in Newcastle, Adrian Salem is in the warmth of his local pub. It is packed as Newcastle’s Premier League game kicks off.

For Adrian, football can provide the escapism that is essential after the most difficult days of his life. Saturdays have not been the same since Michael, his younger brother, died.

Adrian, eight years older, recalls how their father, also Michael Newberry and a former non-League footballer at nearby Gateshead, took them to training sessions. Michael would show off the skills he was learning to his brother. In return, Adrian — passionate about boxing — had Michael as a sparring partner.

Michael was understandably disheartened after leaving Newcastle in 2018. “He was telling us that he hadn’t made it,” Adrian recalls, shaking his head. “Every time we spoke, I told him how proud we all were of him and how others looked up to him. I would always give him a cuddle.”

Adrian, a keen boxer, spent hours practising his skills with Michael (Photo courtesy of Adrian Salem)

Michael’s football journey began at Red House Farm — a junior football club in Gosforth, north of Newcastle. “Michael was a great young lad, he was always smiling,” Mark Bolam, his coach from the youth club, says. “He loved football and was a really popular kid.”

Bolam recounts how Michael, even after signing for Newcastle, would return to training sessions and matches to support the team. “He got on so well with all the lads; there was a real bond. I remember Peter Beardsley (the former forward who captained Newcastle, before becoming a coach at St. James’ Park, including a spell as caretaker manager in 2010) at Newcastle telling me that Michael was the first player at training and the last one to leave. He would help set up our sessions.”

Michael, left, began his youth career at Red House Farm (Photo courtesy of Red House Farm)

At Newcastle, Michael was elevated above his age categories, playing for the under-18s aged 15. He struck up a centre-back partnership with Owen Bailey, one year his junior, from the under-14 side through to under-21 level.

“Michael was ahead of his time — a modern player,” says Bailey, now a midfielder with League Two side Doncaster Rovers. “He was fast, strong, good on the ball.”

Bailey, 25, describes how Michael was “one of the nicest lads I’ve met. He would go out of his way to make sure everyone was fine from a personal perspective before worrying about football, especially the younger ones. In that environment, everyone is competing for scholarships and pro contracts.”

Michael was elevated above his age category in Newcastle’s youth system (Photo courtesy of Adrian Salem)

Bailey says it was evident Michael was one of the standout players. “He never acted like he was — there was real humility,” he adds. “He clicked with everyone and had a laugh. He was such a good, funny person. He was the perfect example of the Geordie character: worked hard but didn’t take himself too seriously.”

That view was shared by another team-mate at St James’ Park, Dan Barlaser, the Middlesbrough midfielder. “He worked so hard in the gym — he was always in great shape,” Barlaser told the Newcastle programme. “He was always smiling, laughing. I will cherish those memories.”

Michael, far left, watches a training session alongside team-mates Ivan Toney, Longstaff and Barlaser (Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images)

Despite being two of the most promising players in Newcastle’s youth system, neither Michael nor Bailey would play for the senior side. “He was really close,” Bailey says. “But there was a lot of change in the academy and that didn’t help anyone. A lot of the best talents dropped off the radar.”

Having signed a professional contract, Michael had a hairline fracture in his back that ruled him out for eight months during his final year at the club. Later, Newcastle’s under-23 captain Bailey suffered knee injuries that prevented him from playing for 18 months. The timings meant neither was offered further contracts.

Bailey argues Newcastle’s geographical isolation makes it particularly difficult for young players to continue their careers. Unlike other English urban centres such as London, Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds or Birmingham, there is not a deep network of local clubs in the north east as alternatives. Bailey resurrected his career at Gateshead, then in the sixth tier.

Michael, who grew up a 10-minute walk from St. James’ Park, was a lifelong Newcastle fan (Photo courtesy of Adrian Salem)

Michael had interest from Blackburn Rovers and a trial with Motherwell in Scotland, before agent Nick McCreery told Michael that Icelandic club U.M.F. Vikingur had offered a contract.

Adrian believes Michael’s left-field move had been influenced by his own career. Adrian served in the army in Afghanistan and Iraq and has since worked in India and Dubai. “Michael maybe saw that and felt nothing would stop him moving away,” Adrian says.

Michael spent three seasons playing regularly in Iceland. “He was having the time of his life,” Adrian says, before adding that it was a challenge. “It was a vast, empty area. It’s one thing to experience that, but living there for that length of time is a lot. We knew he eventually missed home.”

Michael alongside his brother (Photo courtesy of Adrian Salem)

Michael was capped by Northern Ireland’s youth teams. Qualifying through his grandfather’s Belfast roots, he played for the under-17 and under-19 sides.

It was there that he first worked with David Healy and Ross Oliver. In January 2021, Michael signed for Northern Ireland champions Linfield, who were managed by Healy with Oliver as his assistant. “This was such a big deal,” Adrian says. Not only was it a proud moment for the family with their roots, but Linfield are the biggest club in the country. “I’m English and I’ve pals who support Linfield. It made me proud beyond words.”

Michael had won the Wor Jackie Trophy at Newcastle, named after Jackie Milburn, who remains Newcastle’s second-highest goalscorer, having scored 200 competitive goals. After leaving Newcastle in 1957, Milburn moved to Belfast and as player-manager won nine trophies.

Michael joined Linfield when they were top of the league and had won the previous two titles, arriving at the same time as midfielder Cammy Palmer, who came from Scotland. “We clicked straight away,” says Palmer, who stayed in the same hotel with Michael before they moved in together. Palmer, three years younger, remembers driving the pair to training in a car full of suitcases and backpacks.

“He was always there for a chat, no matter what,” he adds. “We both missed our families and friends, but we had each other and grew into the club and the city.”

They helped Linfield win another two league titles. “He got on with absolutely everyone. My wife came over and there was never any problem.”

Palmer and Michael lived together after joining Linfield in 2021 (Photo courtesy of Cammy Palmer)

When Michael scored his first Linfield goal, Healy told Palmer in the dressing room he would need to start chipping in or he wouldn’t have the bragging rights. They became close friends with team-mates Conor Pepper and Kirk Millar. “We would go round to Conor’s house to play poker,” Palmer says. “We socialised a lot. It was a good team and the bonds were close.”

Palmer says what he remembers most about Michael was how he regularly sat with different groups and prioritised checking in with the youngsters. “We always had a laugh, but he was there for me when I needed a chat or felt I was struggling. I hope I was that person for him.”

In January 2022, a year into Michael’s and Palmer’s time at Linfield, the club signed Devine from Championship club Knockbreda. A then-20-year-old who had never played in the top flight, the move was a big step in the striker’s career. “As soon as I arrived, Michael looked after me,” Devine says.

Devine and Michael won multiple trophies together at Linfield (Photo courtesy of Ethan Devine)

Last summer, Michael left Linfield for Cliftonville. He moved in with three team-mates who all transferred clubs that summer: Arran Pettifer, Axel Piesold and Taylor Steven. “He was like the father figure of that house,” Devine says. “He was always trying to look out for people.”

On Christmas Day, Michael made dinner. “He would have known what it was like not having a support base — that summed him up,” says Palmer.

The following day, Cliftonville lost against Crusaders. Michael played the full match. On December 30, Cliftonville were scheduled to play Dungannon Swifts and on the previous night, he and Devine chatted as normal. “That friendship probably got even stronger when we were not at the same club,” says Devine.

It was the last time Devine and Michael spoke.

Devine and Michael became close friends away from football (Photo courtesy of Ethan Devine)

Michael’s brother, Adrian, could not process the news — he still can’t. “I had told him that he could pick up the phone to me anytime, it would not matter why,” he says. “I don’t know why that night he felt he couldn’t ring us. He was my little brother. I held him in my arms when he was a baby. We were always there for each other. I loved Michael so much.”

As news circulated of Michael’s death, Linfield and Cliftonville requested to the NI Football League to postpone their matches that night. The league agreed, but the other four games went ahead.

Devine, now on loan at Ballymena United, and Palmer, at Glentoran, were scheduled to play. Devine chose not to, Palmer did. “That day I wasn’t really present, my mind wasn’t there,” Palmer says. “I was very emotional. I just kept thinking of all the memories and what his family were going through. I spent the day messaging Linfield players. They were distraught. I didn’t know how to think.”

Michael and his brother, Adrian, who is travelling to Belfast for the first time for Linfield vs Cliftonville (Photo courtesy of Adrian Salem)

Newcastle remains Adrian’s community and is where Michael’s funeral took place on January 16. He never had the opportunity to take up his brother’s offer to experience Belfast and is travelling to Windsor Park for Linfield vs Cliftonville.

“If there is one thing to learn from this, it’s to always remind people of how much they mean to you and how much you love them,” says Adrian.

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(Top photos: Adrian Salem)