Newcastle United have the ambition to be as big as Manchester United on and off the pitch.

The Magpies take on the Red Devils in the Premier League on Sunday.

Both sides are vying to finish in the top four and qualify for next season's Champions League.

Howe said regarding his team punching above their weight this term: “You can buck that trend. It is possible. It is not easy to do. Back to my early coaching experiences, and we were always trying to buck the trend, going in with teams with far superior budgets to us year after year.

“When you ask how? Team spirit, togetherness, implementing a plan. Hopefully everyone is on the same page and working harder than everyone else. It is a simple blueprint that I have always tried to use. When you get to the elite level it gets harder and harder. You believe in the squad you have and I believe we can do that.

“Off the pitch? There are ambitions for the club to grow income. It is vital we do that because of financial fair play. We are going to be restricted depending on our income. I know that is the challenge everyone at the club is trying to find answers to.

“There are a lot of clubs with bigger budgets than us. I've said all along, our success is not based on money at all. I'm seeing the work and the spirit and the togetherness of the group, what every player is giving to the cause.

“When a team is successful it is not down to one thing, it's a collective and a lot of different aspects go into that. It's the same if a team isn't performing well, We will keep doing what we are doing."