After an impressive campaign with England at 2018 World Cup, Kieran Trippier was a regular inclusion in Tottenham Hotspur’s starting lineup in the Premier League and the Champions League.
However, less than a month ago, the right-back left Spurs and completed a switch to Atletico Madrid.
Prior to his move to the Spanish capital club, the 28-year-old was also linked with a move to other European clubs.
However, he decided to join Diego Simeone’s side and by doing so, Trippier became the first Englishman to sign for Los Rojiblancos for close to a century.
The former Burnley man sat down for an interview with Swedish agency TT and is relayed in today’s edition of Hallands Nyheter.
When TT asked Trippier as to why he left Mauricio Pochettino’s side, he said: “For a number of reasons. It was the right thing at the moment, and I have come to a great team. I’ve always wanted to play abroad and I didn’t want to let this opportunity slip away from me.”
When further quizzed if he has something to prove, the ex-Tottenham defender stressed: “No, I don’t think so. I just want to enjoy my football and I’m going to do it.”
“As I said, this is a new step and a new challenge. I just want to make it as good as I can be for my teammates and for my team, and hopefully achieve a lot of success.”
Barring a few exceptions, there have been very few English or British players arriving in the La Liga over the last few decades. Trippier is unsure as to why the trend hasn’t changed.
“I don’t know. I would advise English players to play abroad. This is a great opportunity to learn new things. It’s a different environment, different coaches and a different style of play,” he added.
“Maybe it’s because players don’t want to get out of that bubble of playing in England. But for me it was not a problem.”
