Kieran Trippier reveals Diego Simeone banned Atletico players from saying two words

Kieran Trippier has revealed that Diego Simeone banned the Atletico Madrid players from saying two specific words - 'good morning' - as they marched towards the LaLiga title last season.

The England international was part of the Los Rojiblancos' side that won the league title in 2021, and he has now revealed that the Atletico boss employed strange tactics to lead his team to glory.

Trippier moved to Newcastle United during the January transfer window, and in an interview with the True Geordie podcast said: "After Christmas, we weren’t allowed to say ‘good morning’. That’s what the manager said. We had to say 'champions' from Christmas.

"He set the stall for the players at Christmas. We weren’t allowed to say good morning, he was like 'we’re going to be champions', the physios, everybody.

"All the physios [were] coming in, every game from Christmas, all wearing Atletico Madrid shirts."

Atletico won the LaLiga title on the final day of the season, beating Real Vallodolid 2-1.

He continued: "My experiences in Spain have changed me completely, and that’s from the manager. I can’t speak highly enough of him, he’s that good.

"He’s just mental, he’s just different. When you see him on the touchline, that’s how he is in training."

Trippier injured his metatarsal against Aston Villa last month and has been on the sidelines since. He said: "It was my fifth metatarsal, there was a fracture in there so I had to have surgery, I had to have a bolt [put] in it.

"The surgeon is happy, my physios are happy which makes me a lot better.

"[The timescale] is different, some players have been six weeks, some players have been eight weeks, 10 weeks but it's about the individual. For me now it's about supporting the lads and getting points on the board."