Kieran Trippier: "I want to kick on again"

Kieran Trippier is describing how he tried to take everything in during his time at the World Cup.

“Sometimes, I would be sitting in my room in the camp, just thinking to myself ‘wow, I’m playing in a World Cup and I’m starting in the World Cup’, it was all a bit surreal.”

Take a step back to Hong Kong, May, 2017 and after a post-season Tour friendly against Kitchee, news broke that Kieran was called up to the senior England squad for the first time for the World Cup qualifier against Scotland and friendly against France.

He earned his first cap in the Stade de France in June and enjoyed a fine 2017/18 with 35 appearances in all competitions, 21 starts in the Premier League and impressive displays in the Champions League - all with Serge Aurier and Kyle Walker-Peters pushing him all the way.

His efforts were rewarded with a place in the World Cup squad and come mid-May, the suggestion was that Kieran was set to start in Gareth Southgate’s new 3-5-2 system. “It’s crazy how football goes,” he told us in May, a year after that first call.

Little did he know what would follow...

One of five Spurs players in the England squad and 12 at the World Cup, Kieran was seen as one of the best performers in Russia as the Three Lions reached the semi-finals, eventually losing to Croatia.

He provided two assists, took two corners leading to penalties converted by Harry Kane, scored a penalty in the shoot-out win against Colombia and then dream land – opening the scoring from a free-kick in the semi-final against Croatia. England held that lead until the 68th minute as Croatia eventually won in extra-time.

Kieran bounced back into Hotspur Way on Monday, just over three weeks after that night in Moscow. Raring to go for the new season, he was happy to re-live a summer he’ll never forget – and look ahead to 2018/19...

The dream...

“A year ago, I was in Hong Kong and the manager was telling me that I was getting called up for a qualifier and a friendly. It was a dream come true just to be part of that squad. Obviously, having played for the younger ages (England U18, 19, 20 and 21) I thought my time had gone but I got another chance.

“Serge Aurier arrived, Kyle Walker-Peters as well, he’s been brilliant... I knew I had to train well to play as many games as I could for Spurs because anything’s possible and it was the World Cup at the end of the season. I knew I needed to put in the performances. The manager gave me quite a lot of games last season and then Gareth Southgate picked me for the 23-man squad and I was over the moon."

The reality...

“The World Cup was crazy. It was surreal really. Obviously from watching for many years as a fan in my dad’s back garden to actually playing in a World Cup, it’s a dream come true. Sometimes, I was just sat in my room in the camp, just thinking to myself ‘wow, I’m playing in a World Cup and I’m starting in the World Cup’ and it’s hard to take it all in at the time but I look back on the tournament now and just think, obviously we had our ups and downs, but I’m absolutely delighted that I was even part of that group, a special group.”

The penalty…

“A couple of days before the Colombia game, I was hitting five or six penalties and they were going in the corner every time. I felt confident. I knew if I was called upon to take a penalty, it wouldn’t be a problem. After extra time against Colombia, the manager said ‘you’re up fourth’.

“The most important thing I knew was where I was going to place it. My mind wasn’t going to play tricks on me. I think sometimes in that pressure, in that moment, you see players change their minds at the last second. It can play tricks on you.”

The coming season…

“My experiences at the World Cup don’t change anything at all. I’m hungry to play more, I want to kick on another level and just try and do my best again, whenever I’m called upon. I had to wait patiently to try to make the right-back spot my own but obviously I have competition with Serge and Kyle, who’s done fantastic. Even last season, he’s done really well when he’s been called upon. He’ll be challenging me and Serge as well. You’ve got to be on it every day in training because the manager doesn’t miss anything. You’ve got to keep working hard.”

The big kick-off...

“Newcastle will be a tough test, they have some quality players but it’s a challenge we’re ready for. I’ve watched the games from our pre-season Tour and the lads look fresh and ready. We (Kieran and his fellow World Cup semi-finalists) came back in a bit later after our breaks, the first time that’s ever happened in my career, but I feel fresh, I feel ready and I know all the other boys do. We all want to get the season off to a flyer.”