Pep Guardiola may be celebrating another Premier League title win - but the Man City boss has been left 'wowed' by Eddie Howe's morning routine at Newcastle United's training ground.
Howe, without fail, is the first one to rock up at the club's Benton base at 6am every day. The Newcastle head coach hits the gym with Dan Hodges, the club's head of performance, and then sets about preparing for the day ahead when the training ground is at its quietest.
It is a routine Howe has stuck to for years now and has roots in his childhood. Even from the age of seven, Howe often used to help his late mother, Anne, with her first job of the day at a newsagents at 4am. No wonder Guardiola was amazed when he was told about how early the Newcastle head coach gets to work.
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"Wow," the City manager told Sky Sports. "At 6am? Oh my God. Eddie is a genius. I arrive later than 6am. 6am?! I'm in bed! I love my sleep so I'm not there.
"Like all managers, we arrive early on - that's for sure - and prepare training sessions and stay as long as you need. Sometimes longer than the other ones. All the managers are thinking 24 hours in our jobs. We are not different."
Guardiola's comments come just a few days after the Catalan said Newcastle 'deserved' to 'sit at the table'. The Magpies need just a point from their final two games of the season to qualify for the Champions League.
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