Allan Saint-Maximin pays tremendous, heartfelt tribute to Steve Bruce after sacking

The Newcastle star described Bruce as "one of the most gentle people" he had ever met

Allan Saint-Maximin has said it was "an honour and a privilege" to have Steve Bruce as a coach in a touching tribute to his former manager. It comes after Bruce was sacked as Newcastle manager on Wednesday morning. Saint-Maximin, who is one of the most popular players at the club, described Bruce as "gentle", "caring" and "fair", adding that he will be forever grateful for having had him as a coach. In a tweet, the French forward wrote: "You are, without a doubt, one of the most gentle people that I have ever met in the world of football. You have been a man of your word, a caring man and a fair man who never hesitated to protect us. I will never forget how you treated me, for that I will be forever grateful. "It has been an honour and a privilege to have you as a coach, thank you Steve." https://twitter.com/asaintmaximin/status/1450793278450851844 Throughout his tenure at the club, Bruce was hugely unpopular amongst fans, with regular chants calling for his sacking during games at St James' Park. After the news of his departure from the club was announced, he admitted that his time at Newcastle had been "very, very tough" and that his unpopularity at the club had taken its toll on him. https://twitter.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1450762439541284871 The Magpies currently sit 19th in the Premier League table, and are yet to win a league game this season. Lucien Favre, Eddie Howe and Paolo Fonseca are believed to be the current front-runners to take over as manager of the club.