As he starts his first week of pre-season as a Wolves player, Kieran Trippier outlines why he hopes the experience and leadership he has brought to the team will be beneficial heading into the new campaign.
With almost 600 club appearances and 54 England caps to his name, the right-back has a great understanding of how the years of knowledge he has built up over his esteemed career can help Cesar Peixoto’s young squad, and that his ability from a set-piece situation will also be an important part of the Portuguese’s set-up this year.
But as well as the quality he brings on the pitch, Trippier also knows he was brought into Molineux to support the changing room, and is determined to pass on everything he has learned under a variety of managers throughout his career to aid his Old Gold teammates.
On adapting his game
“My game’s totally different now. When I was 21, I was bombing up and down, and as you get older, sometimes you need to change the way that you play, but I feel like I’ve adapted really well over the past couple of years.
“I still feel good, I still feel fit, but it’s been good that throughout my career I’ve had different types of managers with the way that they play, the way that they set up, and some managers have used me in different ways.”
On learning under different managers
“I’ve had different chemistry with the managers that I’ve worked for, Sean Dyche, Mark Robins, when I first started playing for Barnsley, but I think Simeone is the one where I actually realised the mindset to win, because the pressure when you play for that club was immense.
“I’m coming in here now, having played under so many good managers, I feel like as I’ve got older I’ve matured, and my experiences that I’ve had in certain games for club and country, hopefully I can use that to help my new teammates and to help the club move forward in a positive direction.
“There have been some fantastic managers, different types of coaches, different types of way that they manage and lead on and off the pitch. I feel like I’ve definitely learned a lot, especially off Simeone specifically.”
On being a leader on and off the pitch
“It’s something that I’ve learned as I’ve got older. Playing with certain players, certain managers, the games that I’ve played in and the high-pressure games. But I remember when I first went to Newcastle, we got beat by Cambridge in the first game and we were fighting relegation, all the lads’ heads were down, and I just stood up and I just spoke, because that’s the type of character that I am.
“I don’t do it in an aggressive way, I just do it to help my teammates, because they were going through a tough time when I first signed for Newcastle. I know it’s going to be no different here, joining a new club which I'm really excited for, and I just want to try and use my experience on and off the pitch to try and be successful. That’s what I want to do here – just help my team.”
On bringing experience to Molineux
“I go back to when I was in Madrid and we had a really good leadership there with Koke, Jan [Oblak], Mario Hermoso and Gimenez, and I think in every team it’s always good to have that leadership group where there’s four or five of you who can take control of what’s happening in the dressing room so the manager doesn’t have to get involved.
“Michael Duff was really good for me when I was at Burnley. He was a good leader and he helped me a lot. But when I got to Tottenham, Harry Kane was the biggest one. He’s the absolute ultimate pro. I remember when we were getting beat in the Champions League against Ajax and we were 3-0 down and we needed to score three.
“He just come down because he was injured, and then he just spoke, and obviously you weren’t too pleased because he was injured, and we had a chance to get to the Champions League final, but just his presence, the way the way he carries himself, he’s one who I really looked up to for club and country as well. It was a crazy game and when Lucas scored the third and we went through to the Champions League final on away goals, it was a crazy game. Everyone ran on the pitch and it was incredible.
“But you don’t have to be 35 to be a leader, you can be 23, 24 and you can lead in different ways. But it’s always important to have that leadership group to steady the ship when things are maybe not going to too well, and just calm things down. That’s what I’ll certainly do when I meet my teammates and play in the games, and I’ll try and help them as much as I can.”
On being a role model for younger players
“That’s another role for me, personally, because when I was at Newcastle, even though we’d got Tino [Livramento], we’d got Lewis Hall, we’d got Lewis Miley, who is obviously a midfielder but also played a bit at right-back, and I feel like I helped them all off the pitch and in the dressing room, telling them where they maybe can do better, and just trying to be positive with them.
“I feel like I had a bit of an impact on them as well, because Lewis Hall and Tino are fantastic players, and it’s going to be no different here with all the young players.
“I’m always there if they need to chat and speak to me, and I’ll try and have that positive impact on them to try and help them be better on and off the pitch.”
On the importance of set pieces
“I’ve always worked on free kicks and corners since I was a very young age at Manchester City. I’ve always practised and practised, and now in football, in the Premier League, or whatever league it may be, there are so many goals scored from set plays.
“It’s a massive part of the game now, so this season coming up, if I’m playing, I feel like I’ve got a good delivery, so hopefully my new teammates can get on the end of them.”
