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Sandro Tonali has admitted his energy levels were sapped during his darkest days at Newcastle United.
Just 12 games into his Toon career following a £55million move from AC Milan, the Italian was slapped with a 10-month ban for breaching betting regulations. This dealt a hammer blow to the Magpies as they aimed to compete on Premier League and Champions League fronts.
Instead of ostracising him, the club and supporters rallied behind Tonali, who admitted to having a gambling addiction. The midfielder served his suspension before returning to the Newcastle fold against Nottingham Forest in August.
After a few months to adjust, Eddie Howe switched Tonali to a deeper role - a move that paid dividends. The 24-year-old is now the fulcrum of Newcastle’s midfield and the tactical rethink transformed the season.
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United won the Carabao Cup and are now firmly in the race for Champions League football. Tonali starred in the Wembley final against Liverpool and is now worshipped by the supporters who never stopped chanting his name.
Reflecting on his break, the former Milan maestro confessed to having “no motivation” during those early days in the wilderness. Tonali told Cronache di Spogliatoio: “I worked with the psychologist for a year. I met him four times a week. When I started it wasn't easy.
“I couldn't take drugs because of the anti-doping. It's difficult to make someone who doesn't have the basis of the mistake understand the mistake because he already has everything.
“In the first two months, I trained but without seeing the final goal: I had no motivation. When you don't have to compete with anyone, when you don't have to train better than your partner because otherwise you don't play, you have no motivation.
“I found myself in a moment, between the second and third month, in which I had no motivation. In the morning I went to the field and asked myself why. I worked with the psychologist for two weeks to find these motivations again because sometimes I didn't even want to go.”
Sandro Tonali grateful for being at Newcastle United throughout ban
Tonali also highlighted how he was “lucky” to be in England and away from any distractions in Italy. He added: “I was lucky to be in England. I lived seven months without a phone, without a tablet.
“I only watched TV for matches and films. I didn't watch the news, I didn't get any news. Also because I imagine that in that period there wasn't... 'Sandro Tonali made a mistake'. Not watching social media and TV made me feel completely lighter.
“I have no idea what happened in those months and I don't care, that's the beauty of it. I know that I made a mistake. I know that I paid and that I worked to be a better man but I wasn't interested in updating social media looking for my name.”
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