Former Burnley and Spurs defender Kieran Trippier needed a clean break to keep his England hopes alive

Former Burnley right back Kieran Trippier felt that a clean break was a necessity in order to keep his England hopes alive.
England's defender Kieran Trippier (L) is congratulated by teammates after scoring a goal during the Russia 2018 World Cup semi-final football match between Croatia and England at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on July 11, 2018. (Photo by Alexander NEMENOV / AFP)England's defender Kieran Trippier (L) is congratulated by teammates after scoring a goal during the Russia 2018 World Cup semi-final football match between Croatia and England at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on July 11, 2018. (Photo by Alexander NEMENOV / AFP)
England's defender Kieran Trippier (L) is congratulated by teammates after scoring a goal during the Russia 2018 World Cup semi-final football match between Croatia and England at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on July 11, 2018. (Photo by Alexander NEMENOV / AFP)

The ex-Spurs man engineered a move away from the club last summer having fallen out of favour in north London as Mauricio Pochettino outlined his intent to reshape the squad.

Trippier, a losing finalist in the Champions League last year, would miss out on selection for the Nations League campaign in Portugal as he slipped down the Three Lions pecking order.

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That omission prompted a rethink and the two-time PFA Championship Team of the Year entrant opted for a change of scene in his pursuit of regular first team football.

Kieran Trippier of England scores the opening goal from a freekick during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Semi Final match between England and Croatia at Luzhniki Stadium on July 11, 2018 in Moscow, Russia. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)Kieran Trippier of England scores the opening goal from a freekick during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Semi Final match between England and Croatia at Luzhniki Stadium on July 11, 2018 in Moscow, Russia. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
Kieran Trippier of England scores the opening goal from a freekick during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Semi Final match between England and Croatia at Luzhniki Stadium on July 11, 2018 in Moscow, Russia. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

A £20m switch to the Spanish capital saw the Wanda Metropolitano become his new home as he put pen to paper on a three-year deal to become the first Englishman in almost a century to sign for Atletico.

The 29-year-old, who made his England bow three years ago in a 3-2 defeat to France in an international friendly in Paris, was then invited back into the fold by Gareth Southgate as he featured in a few European Championship qualifiers.

However, his last cap came eight months ago when he featured in the 6-0 win over Bulgaria in a Group A qualifier at the Stadion Vasil Levski in Sofia.

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And now he faces more competition than ever for a place in the side with Trent Alexander-Arnold, Aaron Wan Bissaka, Kyle Walker, Reece James, Max Aarons and Kyle Walker-Peters all performing well.

He said: "That's why I needed to leave Tottenham in the first place due to the situation there. I needed to be playing as high as I could for as long as I could.

"There's me, Kyle Walker, Trent, Wan Bissaka, Reece James, Max Aarons is coming through and Kyle Walker-Peters, who is a quality player.

"There is a lot of competition, but I've got to focus on myself and focus on my own game and hope my performances stand out. I've just got to focus on my club.

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"There's not just competition at right back, though. You can look through the entire squad. There are so many players coming through. It's a great headache for Gareth to have."

Trippier, who became only the third Englishman to score in a World Cup semi-final when beating Danijel Subašić from a set-piece in Russia in 2018, joining Sir Bobby Charlton and Gary Lineker, is adamant that the Three Lions are on course to end their long wait to land a major trophy.

He said: "It was a very special moment [scoring in a World Cup semi-final], but it was disappointing in the end with the result.

"I felt it was our time, if we won that we would have won the World Cup. That's how much we believed as a team. It was a positive tournament all round and it's a great time to be involved.

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"England are on course to win something, the next Euros or the next World Cup, especially with the players we've got coming through.

"The manager is unbelievable as well and he's the best man for the job. He's brought everyone together, the fans, the players, which is important."