Steve Black was "one in a billion" and a "unique character" who Joey Barton is honoured to call a friend and mentor, as the Bristol Rovers manager joined the tributes to the beloved coach following his death at the age of 64.
Black enjoyed a hugely successful and impactful career across football and rugby union, working as both a conditioning coach and sports psychologist with Newcastle United, Newcastle Falcons, the British & Irish Lions, Wales, Sunderland, Fulham, Huddersfield Town, Norwich City and QPR, as well as a consultant to individual sportspeople.
Kevin Keegan, who worked his Black during the "Entertainers Era" at Newcastle in the mid 1990s, once called him, "the best one-to-one coach in the world". He's known for the defining influence he had on Jonny Wilkinson's legendary rugby career for England and Newcastle and iconic All Blacks World Cup-winning coach Graham Henry once named him, "the best motivator I’ve ever encountered".
