Trippier free to express himself
KIERAN TRIPPIER admits that he has not received the freedom of his home town of Bury just yet – but on this form, it will not be long in coming.
The Tottenham full-back was one of the stars of England’s surprise surge to the World Cup semi-finals in the summer, one of the highlights being his glorious free-kick in the semi-final against Croatia.
He was at it again on Saturday as another strike from all of 30 yards left Fulham goalkeeper Fabri clutching at thin air as it sailed into the corner, and turned a game that had looked like it might be slipping away from Spurs.
After his success in Russia, Bury council announced they would be awarding their new favourite son freedom of the town. But he is still waiting.
Trippier, whose raids down the right were a key feature of his team’s victory, said: “I’ve not received it yet. I think the council have been on to my agent. It’s a busy schedule at the moment but I’m sure I’ll go back up north soon to accept it.
“I do get recognised in the street now sometimes. But it’s just football. Fans love watching what we do. We try to put on a show for them.
“I was delighted to play at the World Cup. It’s crazy what a year can do. I only made my debut for England last year and a year later I am playing in a World Cup.
“I learnt a lot about myself, it gave me a lot of confidence and I am happy to come back with more experience. Hopefully, I can put that to good use for Tottenham now.”
Spurs had dominated this match against promoted Fulham from the off but only broke through when Lucas Moura fired home two minutes before the interval.
But Mauricio Pochettino’s team switched off as Fulham changed their system and Aleksandar Mitrovic first hit a post before nodding home from close range.
But Mitrovic missed a great chance to put Fulham ahead – and then came Trippier’s moment after Dele Alli had been fouled. He said: “This one was a bit further out than the one in Moscow. I am just happy it went in. It was a crucial time to get a goal.
“I asked Christian Eriksen if I could take it and he just said, ‘Go ahead’. It’s about believing in your own ability.” Three minutes after chances. But after a difficult week, with their new stadium opening now possibly set to be delayed until next year due to safety concerns, it was a welcome boost.
For Fulham, it meant two defeats in their opening two games and Mitrovic says the players must help their £100million worth of summer signings settle in as quickly as possible. “We all have a responsibility,” he said. “Some of them don’t speak English. But they are all good players, and bring something that we didn’t have. They are coming from different leagues and this is the toughest league in the world.”
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