Newcastle United’s players were paid a surprise visit by the club’s Saudi Arabian chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan and his bodyguards moments after their humiliating FA Cup 1-0 defeat by Cambridge United.

The chairman was flanked by his security details as he made an impromptu visit to the home dressing room along with Amanda Staveley and her husband Mehrdad Ghodoussi to speak to the players while manager Eddie Howe was carrying out his post-match media duties.

It is highly unusual for a senior member of the board, let alone a chairman, to enter the dressing room so soon after a game and the fact the team had been booed off by a capacity crowd may explain why Al-Rumayyan decided to speak to them.

The governor of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, who have a controlling 80 per cent stake in the club they bought in October with Staveley, were seen walking solemnly back to the chairman’s suite after addressing the players, flanked by their highly visible bodyguards.

Asked about the visit after the game, Howe, who will be pushing for the owners to sign a centre back and a striker before the vital Premier League home game against fellow relegation strugglers Watford next weekend, insisted the owners wanted to send a positive message

“I personally wasn’t in there for that,” Howe explained. “Then they saw me with my coaching team after.

“I believe they were very supportive to the players, highlighting the fact we’re very much in this fight to stay in the league together, and they’re very much behind everybody. I can’t thank them enough for that support.

“I think it was really beneficial for the players to be able to see that and hear that because this journey we’re going on currently and this fight we’re in to stay in this division is a united effort from everybody at the club.