E191: Kieran Trippier

E191 - Kieran Trippier: How struggle made me stronger

Kieran Trippier is the current captain of Newcastle United and is widely regarded as one of the best English right backs of his generation. As well as winning the La Liga title with Athletic Madrid, Kieran reached the Champions League final with Spurs and scored the opening goal for England in the 2018 World Cup semi-final against Croatia. He has played under some of the finest managers in the game including Diego Simeone, Mauricio Pochettino, Gareth Southgate, Sean Dyche and now Eddie Howe. We spoke to him at St James’s Park as Newcastle close in on possible Champions League qualification.

In this episode Kieran reveals the difficulties which almost made him quit football before a period of development made him into the professional he is today. He recounts the ways in which different managers were able to help him reach the some of the biggest footballing stages in the world, taking us into the dressing room of the Champions League semi-final which saw Tottenham overturn a 3-0 deficit in the second half. He also leans into the darker side of his career, and the effects of the abuse he has suffered online which led him to pursue a career in Spain before returning to the Premier League in 2022.