Soccer ace flies flag for Valley at Euros
VALLEY-BORN England star Kieran Trippier was on hand to help his country to their first win of the delayed Euro 2020 tournament.
Trippier, who grew up in Summerseat in Rossendale, Lancashire and attended Holcombe Brook primary and Woodhey High schools played the full ninety minutes as England secured a 1-0 over Croatia in their opening game at Wembley.
Raheem Sterling scored the only goal of the game as the Three Lions got their Group D campaign off to a flying start.
After the game the Atletico Madrid man, who has recently been linked with a move to boyhood club Manchester United, tweeted: “Delighted to start Euro 2020 with 3 points, a very good team performance on such a hot day, you fans were brilliant. Let’s keep this going.” He also paid tribute to former Tottenham teammate Christian Eriksen who collapsed during Denmark’s opening game against Finland on Saturday afternoon.
“I’d also like to offer my best wishes to Christian Eriksen with his recovery, we are all with you bro,” Trippier added in his tweet.
The right-back, who played the game at leftback, helped Woodhey High School lift the Bury Cup twice and Greater Manchester Trophy when he was younger, where his talent was spotted by Manchester City’s academy.
After leaving school in 2007, Trippier joined City’s youth team, but was unable to break into the first team at the Etihad, so moved first to Barnsley and then Burnley.
His performances at Turf Moor were rewarded with a move to Tottenham and he has now moved to Spain with Atletico Madrid, who were recently crowned La
Liga champions.
Trippier is no stranger to international tournaments having been an integral part of Gareth Southgate’s team in the 2018 World Cup.
He scored his only international goal to date during the semi-final defeat to Croatia in Moscow, a sublime first-half free kick.
During that World Cup, Kieran’s dad Chris installed a 20ft high flagpole, hanging a huge St George’s Cross with the words ‘Trippier 2’ emblazoned across it, at his Summerseat home.
It has become a bit of a local landmark during international football tournaments, despite Bury council reportedly asking England-obsessive Chris to take it down after a complaint from a neighbour.
Speaking in 2017, Trippier said: “My dad is mad for England.
“He had a big flag in his garden.
“It’s huge - a massive pole with a massive England flag - and he brought the telly into the garden when it was nice weather.
“I can never forget it. “The neighbours love it. I don’t know who complained about it, but it’s hilarious.
“We have a bit of banter about it to this day.”