Allan Saint-Maximin used to be 'fined everyday' but his latenesss was due to taking his children to school rather than late-night drinking sessions. That is according to former Newcastle United assistant coach Stephen Clemence, who has hailed the Magpies' number 10 as a 'natural talent' and namechecked the forward alongside Jack Grealish as 'the best two' he has ever seen in training.
Saint-Maximin's future at St James' Park is currently shrouded in uncertainty following an injury-hit campaign and a cryptic social media post earlier this month. Newcastle are not said to be actively looking to sell the 26-year-old, although could entertain offers which would represent a sizable profit on their £20 million investment.
Saint-Maximin was a leading star for the Magpies in his first two seasons at the club, playing a key role in keeping Steve Bruce's side away from relegation. However, the former Nice forward has seen his influence on the pitch wane since Eddie Howe's appointment in November 2021, although the head coach is keen to continue working with the attacker.
Clemence followed Bruce out of the exit door at St James' Park, having worked under the ex-Newcastle head coach at several clubs including Aston Villa and Hull City. The former Magpies assistant has hailed Saint-Maximin as capable of doing the impossible in possession, and admitted their work with him focused on the defensive side of the game.
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Jonjo Shelvey previously confirmed Saint-Maximin was 'fined every day' for a number of offences, most notably for wearing earrings and jewellery around the club's training ground. Punctuality was also another issue with the forward, but Clemence is adamant this was due to his school-run responsibilities rather than any lack of professionalism.
Clemence told the Times: “I’ve worked with great professionals who’ve been great football players, like John Terry at Villa, James Chester [at Hull and Villa], Robert Snodgrass [Hull and Villa], but Jack [Grealish] and Allan [Saint-Maximin] are the best two things I’ve ever seen on a training pitch.
“To work with someone like Jack is phenomenal. I’ve never seen a talent like his. You just can’t get the ball off him. He carries the ball so well; he’s a great lad, he’ll listen, he doesn’t think he knows it all. We still speak now and again.
“Allan can do things at speed with a football which you just don’t think are even possible. He cuts inside, he has got end product, there’s no doubt about that. The problem he’s found is that people know what he’s going to do more now and people are doubling up, tripling up on him, but he can go past people so, so easily.
"He’s a nice lad as well, quite laid-back. Sometimes he used to annoy some of the lads as he turned up a little bit late. But he wasn’t out drinking at night. He’d be late because he’d be taking his kids to school. I can’t say I taught him too much because he’s just a natural talent. We tried to help him defensively.”
