Steve Watson says that motivational guru Steve Black saved his Newcastle United career and helped him become one of Kevin Keegan's Entertainers.
The Geordie lad, the youngest ever to play for Newcastle at senior level, burst on to the scene as a 16-year-old but then found it tough to get in Keegan's line-up in the 1992/93 season.
However, after working with fitness mentor Black on Tynemouth beach on a daily basis he fought his way back into the reckoning and helped Newcastle finish third in 1994.
Black sadly passed away last week but the tributes have been flooding in on Chronicle Live's social feeds.
And Watson told Chronicle Live: "Everybody has their own story on Blackie on how much he affected their lives or how many he helped people's career.
"For me personally I would say Blackie turned my career around. I spent the first couple of years at Newcastle at 16 or 17 really just playing off the cuff. I had no real knowledge of professionalism or what it actually took to be a footballer.
"I think it was the promotion season in 92/93 where I didn't play many games at all and Kevin had put me back in with the juniors to get games or maybe to give me a kick up the backside. Then in the summer of 1993 I went away with the team at the end of the season and didn't feel like I was going anywhere.
"To be honest if I'd come back in poor nick I don't think I'd have had a career. But I made the conscious decision that summer to work with Blackie. Lee Clark used to work with him anyway but his dedication was different to any of the other young lads.
"I threw myself in with Blackie and trained every day with him. I didn't go away again that summer - just trained every day with him on the beach. I was as fit as I've ever been in my life and that turned my career around."
Black would have Watson training with some of rugby union's elite stars as well as boxer Glenn McCrory.
Watson added: "He changed my thought process on everything and mentality and drive.
"But he had this unbelievable knack of making you enjoy the work! You'd be on all fours spewing up but laughing your head off as well. Steve had that canny knack of working you to the limit and the camaraderie we had.
"We also forged a real bond with the rugby lads and Glenn who trained with us. It was a really special time, the Falcons went on to win the league and you were training with Rob Andrew, Gareth Archer and Tony Underwood or Pat Lam or Va'aiga Tuigamala.
"When you were doing the same stuff as them and seeing their attitude towards, which was far superior to footballers in those days, it pushes you harder - to the max. Blackie led all of that."
Watson, who had a long successful career with not only Newcastle but Aston Villa, Everton and West Brom, said Blackie became a mentor - not just in sport.
He said: "Just in life, I'd ring Blackie up about anything.
"If I was having a hard time with anything it would be Blackie. He worked with Lee Clark at Huddersfield and I was one of the staff.
"But as soon as I started to get into management myself he came over to Gateshead three or four times and done some work there.
"He came to York two or three times too. I'm at a new club now with Chester but I dare say if he was still around he'd have answered my calls.
"He had a special relationship with the young Geordie lads. Obviously, it goes without saying what his relationship with Lee was like but he was a huge part of our lives."
Watson said: "Whatever we achieved as players there be a large part of it down to Blackie.
"And even trying to be top managers - which is the goal - if we do achieve it, that's down to Blackie.
"I remember having a bad run with York and I was on the way to the game, I spoke with him from leaving the house to getting to the stadium for 45 minutes non-stop.
"Then I used a lot of things he said in the team talk and palmed them of as my own! But in all seriousness, we got a great result and I texted him saying I needed to do it every week. That was only before Christmas."
Watson is now managing Chester City in Vanarama National League North and says he is enjoying his time in the North-West.
Watson said: "New challenge now at Chester, it's a tough challenge and the first time I have been part-time.
"It's the first time I haven't had loads of time with players and not had the chance to really get to know them.
"But it's different to what I'm used to. Yet it's a great club, lovely area and a great set of lads.
"I'm just trying to turn them round this season and then getting a bit of comfort this term. We need to look at what we need next season. It's all a learning curve."
