12-goal Newcastle United star hailed as ‘the best’ alongside £100m ace - could leave this summer

Former Newcastle assistant coach Stephen Clemence has reflected on how the Frenchman would be fined and turn up late to training but quickly made up for it with his performances at Darsley Park.

Clemence worked alongside Steve Bruce at Sunderland, Hull City, Aston Villa, Newcastle and most recently West Bromwich Albion.

“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],” Clemence told The Times.

“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.”

Saint-Maximin admitted his career was at a ‘turning point’ after Newcastle secured a fourth place finish and Champions League qualification. The 26-year-old started just 12 Premier League matches last season and hasn’t scored a competitive goal since last August.

“I am so proud of the team and that we achieved the CL [Champions League],” the winger wrote in a social media post. “I am now entering a turning point in my career and I will give everything until the end to achieve my dreams.”

And Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe put the onus on the Frenchman when quizzed on the player’s future on Tyneside.

“That will be dictated by Maxi himself,” said United’s head coach at the end of the season. “He has so much ability, and he’s such an important player for us when he’s at his very best, fitness-wise. He’s unique, there’s no one like him in the Premier League.

“We just hope he comes back really fit, and ready to do well in what is a massive season for him personally.”

Saint-Maximin, who has scored 12 goals in 111 Premier League appearances for Newcastle, was subject to transfer interest from AC Milan in January and now another Serie A side have been linked with the winger. DAZN Italia reported that Atalanta have ‘asked’ about the 26-year-old, who joined Newcastle from Nice four years ago.

Newcastle players are set to return for pre-season training next week.