Final-day defeat at St James’ was so embarrassing for

MAY 15, 2016, is a date which has gone down in Newcastle United folklore.

The Magpies were already relegated but you would have not have known it – the atmosphere at St James’ Park was electric.

Supporters implored Rafa Benitez to stay following relegation and that helped inspire Newcastle to a fantastic – and deserved – 5-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur.

That game has widely been cited as the springboard for United’s subsequent rebirth – but the effect it had on Spurs was equally as profound.

In Mauricio Pochettino’s new book, written by Spanish football expert Guillem Balague, the Spurs manager reveals just how crushing a defeat that loss at St James’ Park was for him.

It has helped inspire Tottenham to become one of the most-consistent sides in England since. “Everybody was impressed by our campaign,” Pochettino wrote in his diary – something he started immediately after the Newcastle defeat – which is included in ‘Brave New World: Inside Pochettino’s Spurs.’ “There was talk we’d played the best football, had the most shots on goal, conceded the fewest goals and the rest – but I couldn’t brush off the embarrassment of what had happened on the final day.

“I’ve just sent good luck messages to the players at Euro 2016, which has just kicked off. While I was writing to them I thought about how at Newcastle we had stopped doing what we’d been practising for two years.”

It was not just the Spurs boss (left) who was affected by that Tyneside hammering, however.

Harry Kane was left “ashamed” too. “Not even 24