Kieran Trippier believes Allan Saint-Maximin has the ability to achieve his Ballon d'Or ambition and has revealed the advice he has given to his Newcastle United team-mate. The Magpies' number 10 is enjoying his best season in black-and-white to date, registering five goals and three assists so far.
Trippier has immediately adopted a leadership role at St James' Park both on and off the pitch, and admits Saint-Maximin is a unique talent unlike anything he has even seen before. The England international shared his own experience trying to defend against the attacker in training, and told the True Geordie podcast: "Honestly, I've never seen anything like it. I don't even know how to explain it, honestly, he's mental.
"Even in training, I just stand off him. We were doing a six-v-six, he had the ball and he wouldn't pass to anyone. Everyone was trying to get the ball of him, I was diving in to tackle him and he's just one of those players that gets you on the edge of your seat. I have never seen anything like him before."
