Kieran Trippier has expressed his remorse regarding the manner in which his tenure at Tottenham Hotspur concluded. The English right-back departed Spurs in the summer of 2019 to join Atletico Madrid, merely a few months after participating in the Champions League final for the club in the Spanish city.
Trippier has since gone on to play for Newcastle United and, in an interview with Gary Neville on The Overlap podcast ahead of this month’s Euros, the 33-year-old reflected on his departure from North London.
When asked about his biggest football regret, Trippier stated that it was the way he left Tottenham, as he departed with a “sour” feeling towards both himself and the club after discussions with chairman Daniel Levy and manager Mauricio Pochettino.
“Just the manner in which I departed. I spoke with Daniel and the manager,” he explained, with Neville further inquiring about the conversation with Levy. “It was difficult, undoubtedly.
I simply asked if I was part of the plans, to which he instructed me to speak with the manager. I approached the manager and inquired about my role in his plans, only to be told to talk to Daniel. It felt as if I were being tossed around like a yo-yo.
“As a player, all you desire is clarity. If I needed to move on, a straightforward conversation would have sufficed. Just a bit of honesty. Just tell me the truth, and there would have been no issue. Players come and go; that’s part of the game.”
When Trippier was asked about the best stadium he had ever played in, he singled out Ajax’s Johan Cruyff Arena, particularly for the memorable Champions League semi-final comeback night.
When Neville inquired about the best player he had played alongside, the response echoed the sentiments of many who wore a Tottenham shirt during Pochettino’s tenure.
“Mousa Dembele, he was truly an exceptional player,” Trippier praised. “Absolutely unbelievable, and I believe he didn’t receive the recognition he deserved. An extraordinary player.”
