Ruud Gullit has revealed even Alan Shearer's wife questioned how the pair were able to bury their long-standing animosity from their infamous Newcastle United fall-out. The Dutchman benched the legendary number nine for a derby defeat to Sunderland at St James' Park in August 1999, resigning three days' later.
Shearer has since admitted that a Magpies victory over the Black Cats would have likely seen him leave his boyhood club just three years' after completing a world-record transfer to come home. Gullit had led the club to an FA Cup final in his first season in charge, but the conflict with the striker came in the final days of his reign at St James' Park.
The duo have since worked together on punditry duties, including for ITV at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Gullit and Shearer were 'laughing and joking' together at a party one night when the goalscorer's wife Lainya could not hide her disbelief and how the pair had reconciled following such a bitter fall-out.
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Gullit told the Sun: "The funny thing is that during the World Cup in Brazil in 2014, we were working together for ITV. We ended up at a party and we were just laughing together and drinking.
“Alan’s wife came over and said, ‘I cannot believe it... in our house, you were the No 1 guy we hated and now you two are laughing and joking with each other'. We’d met a lot of times in TV studios but that night we really got on so well.
“Sometimes you cannot agree but you can still respect one another."
Newcastle return to Wembley for their first cup final in 24 years on Sunday, with Manchester United standing in the way of Carabao Cup glory. Eddie Howe's side also find themselves in the hunt to qualify for next season's Champions League, although defeat in their last outing against Liverpool saw the Magpies drop to fifth in the table.
Many pundits and Newcastle fans have recently grappled with the question as to whether a trophy or a top-four finish should be the priority this term. Gullit has no doubt that success on Sunday over the same club who denied him in May 1999 would be worth far more to the Toon Army.
The ex-Newcastle boss added: “They need a trophy so they can believe. I’d want to win a cup more than finishing in the top four, silverware is something you can show.
"You cannot show people something to say you have qualified for the Champions League. There is no medal, no trophy, no parade.
“I hope for the Newcastle fans, who are fantastic, that they win. They need a bit of success, it will make them so proud.
"It has been difficult for Newcastle, they didn’t do a lot for 20 years and were also relegated twice. It’s a pity because I enjoyed Newcastle, I loved the fans and the stadium.”
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