Former Premier League manager Tony Pulis has shared some of his most unconventional methods for motivating players throughout his career. During his time at Bournemouth in the 1993-94 season, Pulis arranged for a hypnotist to address his squad before a League Cup tie against Kenny Dalglish's Blackburn Rovers - but the players sneaked out through a side door while the lights were off, leaving the hypnotist alone in an empty room. Despite the failed exercise, Pulis noted the players remained relaxed on the bus to the match with no pre-match tension.\n\nPulis also employed psychological games, fabricating stories about opposition managers criticizing his players to fuel their desire.

When a centre-half at Bournemouth failed to give a forward "a kick" in a 1-0 defeat, Pulis ensured the striker heard all the negative comments before their rematch weeks later - Bournemouth won 4-0. Another memorable tactic involved showing his Stoke City squad an Al Pacino speech from 'Any Given Sunday' before a crucial away game at Coventry in April 2008, with the team trailing 1-0 at half-time before rallying to win 2-1 and go top of the table.\n\nThe veteran manager admits to deep superstitions, including counting magpies during away trips and driving around looking for more to even up the numbers. He learned early as a 16-year-old apprentice at Bristol Rovers that eating steak before a match - his first time having the meat - resulted in a heavy defeat at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge.