CHELSEA legend Gus Poyet has recalled the sneaky Christmas party tractic he used to avoid drinking too much booze.
The former Blues star jokingly explained how he cleverly avoided “being placed in a coma for seven days” during Chelsea nights out.
Poyet reckons he mastered the practice of safe drinking during his five years in West London between 1997 and 2001.
In fact, the Uruguayan finally held his hands up to admit that he would turn up hours late to avoid a deadly hangover.
Poyet told The Times:“For Christmas nights out in London the players would get together at two o’clock, so I would get there at seven.
“If I start at two — I’m not going to name names but the way some could drink was unbelievable.
“And the next day, they train — no problem. Me, I would be in a coma for seven days.”
When asked about his social life at Chelsea, he said: “Top. But the drinking culture — I was shocked. I remember being injured, my first night out.
“They gave me a beer and I’m holding it, I don’t know if I’m going to drink. And then they bring me another one and put it in my other hand.
“I adapted. I knew you have to give something of yourself and even if I wasn’t a big drinker I needed to be present. Part of the team.
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“So I never missed a night out, but did it my way.”
When asked about the football, Poyet said: “It was physical. I liked it. Away from home, north, it was always tough. Leeds!
“A typical question they ask me everywhere in the world is: ‘who was the toughest player you play against?’
“Well, every time you were facing Roy Keane you needed to be prepared. Because you knew he was coming.”
Poyet scored 49 goals in 145 Chelsea midfield appearances after joining as a free agent.
He joined Tottenham in May 2021 for around £2.2m and scored 14 goals in his debut season, helping Spurs reach the League Cup final where they lost 2-1 to Blackburn.
His time at Spurs was blighted by injuries after he sustained cruciate ligament damage for the second time in his career in August 2002.
After hanging up his boots in 2004, Poyet began his coaching career as assistant coach of Swindon Town.
He later managed Brighton, Sunderland, AEK Athens and the Greece national team until his contract ended in March this year.
