It was the night before Atletico Madrid's crucial trip to Real Valladolid. The title was in reach and Atletico required victory against a side that was rooted 19th place to lift the La Liga title for only the second time in 24 years.
The nerves were building when Diego Simeone pulled Kieran Trippier aside for a chat.
"One-to-one, the night before we went for the title against Valladolid, he pulled me in," Trippier said in an exclusive interview with the Mirror. "He showed me a video of when I signed, the press conference, where I said what I wanted to achieve with Atletico Madrid.
"I said that day I wanted to win the title. He remembered that and wanted to remind me. That moment spurred me on against Valladolid in that decisive last game, and we won it.
"Little details like that get the extra percentage out of player. He is very clever."
Moving to Atletico was the right decision for Trippier, although some weren't convinced at the time. He made a strong impression in the Spanish capital, and returned to England with Newcastle United looking as determined as ever, until injury drew his season to a premature end.
After two-and-a-half years under Simeone's guidance, Trippier hopes the eccentric Argentine will be patrolling Premier League touchlines in the future.
"I'd love to see him in the Premier League because he would be unbelievable. Simeone was incredible with me. He knew how I played. He changed my game defensively. He changed my game and the work I did individually, and I learned so much from him.
"His wife speaks perfect English. He is a manager who has to speak fluently because he wants to get his message across. If he couldn't get his point across he would get agitated, frustrated. Can he manage in England one day? I would love to see it. "
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