Bruno Guimaraes couldn't hide his delight after inspiring Newcastle to a 2-1 win over Tottenham on Sunday - and the result capped a dream 24 hours for the midfielder, who become a father for the first time the day before the match.
The Magpies propelled themselves into the top-four with a statement victory over Spurs. An error from Hugo Lloris enabled Callum Wilson to fire Newcastle into an early lead before Miguel Almiron notched a classy solo goal to double the visitors' advantage before the half-time break.
Harry Kane scored from a second-half corner to give Tottenham hope of a comeback, but Newcastle stood firm to extend their unbeaten run to seven matches.
Guimaraes has been in inspired form since joining the club from Lyon back in January, and he produced another imperious display against Spurs - even though he was suffering from a severe lack of sleep.
The midfielder's partner gave birth to their first son, Matteo, the day before the match, but Guimaraes travelled down to join his teammates overnight. Speaking after the win, he told Sky Sports: "They've been amazing days for me, to become a father for the first time. It's been incredible. I've had two days without sleep. I would stay home but I love to be here with these guys. They make me happy and proud, and I think we deserved it today."
Speaking about his son's birth, he added: "It was one of the best days of my life. I'm very happy and proud. It's been like a dream. I don't have words because it's amazing what has happened in my life. I say thanks to my family. It's been difficult but it's all worth it."
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The Magpies' other scorer, Wilson, then chimed in: "It was a win for Matteo!" before adding: "He's [Guimaraes] an unbelievable character and an unbelievable player. We're so happy for him. He's an emotional guy and it's been an emotional few days, and we topped it off today."
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe was also full of praise for Guimaraes and his team after the match - although he quipped that he was unaware that the midfielder had gone without sleep for two nights. He said: "I didn’t know about the two nights without sleep…he kept that part quiet from me! I only knew about the one. He’s given his heart & soul to the club since he signed."
He added: "It was a big win. We were determined to come here and be positive. Great display from us. We deserved the win. My players deserve all the credit for how we attack the game. We executed the game plan really well. It wasn't without problems - they have world-class players.
"They had a few long-range shots and dangerous counter-attacks early on. Once we solved that we were OK."
