Formerly of Atletico Madrid, Newcastle fullback Kieran Trippier enjoyed a truly memorable time in Spain.
The highlight of his stint was undoubtedly the Colchoneros’ La Liga triumph last season, as they lifted the trophy for the first time in 8 years.
Trippier, who is currently out of action due to a metatarsal injury, recently featured on True Geordie’s YouTube channel.
The video revealed many intriguing facts about the English fullback, and additionally, his opinion on former manager Diego Simeone.
Trippier said, “My experiences in Spain have changed me completely, and that’s from the manager. I can’t speak highly enough of him, he’s that good”.
He also shared a tidbit regarding the tactic deployed by the Argentine manager to instil confidence within his side, “After Christmas, we weren’t allowed to say ‘Good Morning’. We had to say ‘Champions’ ‘ from Christmas”.
“He set the stall for players at Christmas, we weren’t allowed to say good morning, he was like ‘we’re going to be Champions’, the physios, everybody.”
Simeone isn’t highly revered for no reason, and this anecdote from his former player showcases the manager’s ability to motivate a dressing room, to rally his side and to leave a lasting impact on those coached by him.
It also suggests that his dressing room capabilities might be the reason why his teams wholeheartedly get behind his largely defensive game plans.
Of course, in the end, those strategies are backed up by the titles he has lifted so far at Atletico.
