NEWCASTLE: Cameras flashed, phones lit up and the cries of 鈥淜ylian鈥� and 鈥淢bappe鈥� echoed into the Tyneside night from the huddle of fans who had gathered beside the players鈥� entrance under the famous old Milburn Stand at St James鈥� Park, home to Newcastle United.

This was not a Hollywood premiere, though it certainly might have felt a bit like like one to the young Newcastle fans. No, this was just the world鈥檚 best player, arguably, leaving their ground the day before he faces their team, on their turf.

You might pardon such 鈥渟mall club mentality鈥� when it has been such a long, long time since this little part of the North East of England last hosted stars such as those who will don the bleu et rouge of Les Parisiens on Wednesday night in the Champions League.

The last time Newcastle experienced this level of European football before this season was 2004. That year the likes of Barcelona, Inter Milan and Juventus came to town. This time, it is the turn of Paris Saint-Germain to enjoy a Geordie welcome on Wednesday night, followed in the weeks ahead by Borussia Dortmund and AC Milan.

United fans have been captivated by their visitors from France, with hundreds enjoying a Sela-sponsored drone show that lit up the gloom on Monday night, greeting the PSG players on arrival at their Quayside hotel on the banks of the River Tyne, or lining up at the entrances and exits to St James鈥� Park on Tuesday night in hope of catching a glimpse of the French champions, who were training on the pitch.

While the build up might have something of a 鈥渟ummer friendly鈥� feel about it, things will get serious very quickly as kick-off approaches, with Mbappe set to play and looking to dent Newcastle鈥檚 Champions League hopes.

The question on everyone鈥檚 lips this week has been, 鈥淗ow do you solve a problem like Kylian Mbappe?鈥� The Magpies kindly gave the media the chance to ask the man tasked with doing precisely that, Kieran Trippier.

Trippier, who was set to hand over the captain鈥檚 armband to returning Jamaal Lascelles against PSG after Sven Botman was ruled out, said he feels no fear about taking on the man many people consider the best in the business.

鈥淚鈥檝e played against him on his debut for Monaco, when I was at Spurs. I played against him for England on my debut, quite a few years ago,鈥� said the 33-year-old, who was the first signing made by the Saudi Public Investment Fund following their takeover of the club.

鈥淗e鈥檚 a fantastic player. You want to play against the best in the world. It will be a great occasion for the club and a game we think we can win.

鈥淗e鈥檚 been incredible but every single game we always prepare how we can win the game and hurt the opposition. Tomorrow is no different. You always have to respect the opposition but you have to find a way to win.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a challenge I鈥檓 ready for. I鈥檝e played against plenty of good wingers and tomorrow is no different. The Champions League is where I want to play.鈥�

It was clear that Trippier was keen to move the conversation away from Mbappe and onto the magic surrounding Newcastle being back in the competition for the first time in two decades. The journalists had different ideas.

As he fielded yet another Mbappe-themed query, Trippier said: 鈥淭his is football. This is the level you want to play at. You want to be against the best players and the best teams.

鈥淧aris have got unbelievable players. Mbappe is one of the best in the world but they鈥檝e got quality all over the pitch. (But) on our day, we can hurt anyone.鈥�

Trippier went on to reveal that even his own son has not stopped talking about the player who will be looking to run his dad ragged on Wednesday.

鈥淚 was having banter with him last night,鈥� he said. 鈥淗e wants to walk out with him tomorrow night and not me. I鈥檓 not happy. I鈥檝e told him if he gets to walk out with him, don鈥檛 look at me in the tunnel.鈥�

Of course, one player or one duel will not determine who wins or loses this encounter. Newcastle know they need to be at their very best, unlike their opening game, when they drew a blank in a goalless draw in Milan. The big difference this time is that they will be on home turf, with the backing of 52,000 Geordies.

That point is not lost on PSG boss Luis Enrique, himself no stranger to the magic that can happen at St James鈥� Park. In 1997, he scored against United there but a Faustino Asprilla hat-trick gave the Magpies a 3-2 victory in their first-ever game in the Champions League proper.

鈥淲e鈥檙e coming to St James鈥� Park and it鈥檚 a hostile atmosphere, but hostile from a sporting point of view,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a spectacular place to come and play and it will be good to see what our players are made of playing here.

鈥淚鈥檓 envious of my players because they鈥檙e going to get to experience that firsthand out on the pitch tomorrow.鈥�

Recalling his visit in 1997 as a player, he said: 鈥淚t was a tough game 鈥� 26 years ago seems a lifetime. I was certainly a lot younger than I am now. It is true that I scored in the 3-2 but they had great players and a great atmosphere. It wasn鈥檛 easy then and it won鈥檛 be easy tomorrow.鈥�

While Group F has been dubbed the 鈥淕roup of Death,鈥� Enrique does not consider Newcastle the weak link in danger of elimination. In fact, he said, they are the team everyone else hoped to avoid.

鈥淭hey are the team in the fourth pot that no one wanted,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e know they play at a high level. They are a complete football team and they will be playing in front of extremely passionate supporters as well.

鈥淎ll teams can go far in the Champions League and there鈥檚 no reason why Newcastle can鈥檛 go far. No one wanted to play them because we saw how well they played last season.鈥�