Newcastle United’s secret ingredient - as told by Kieran Trippier

In the space of just 18 months, everything has changed on Tyneside. The club now look up the table, rather than down, with everyone pulling in the same direction.

It’s a far cry from the decade and a half that preceded the takeover - and long may that continue. But just what is the secret to their rise up the table?

Outsiders regularly and unfairly, point to the money spent by the club as the sole reason for this transformation with the additions of Sven Botman, Bruno Guimaraes and Alexander Isak often cited. However, there is so much more than meets the eye and Kieran Trippier, another one of their post-takeover arrivals, has detailed just what he believes Newcastle’s secret ingredient has been - and why the club are set for future success.

Speaking on the High Performance Podcast, Trippier said: “You need to have the right characters that are on the same page to pull in one direction.

“The manager has been a big believer in that and the way he wants the club to be run and the way he wants to set his teams up - you need to have a good dressing room. How people are going to handle themselves when they’re not in the squad or not playing.

“For example you look at [Callum] Wilson and Alex [Isak] now. Two on-fire strikers but there’s no bitterness or complaining, they’re both just ready and if you have that in your team, that will take you so far.”