ON FOOTBALL WITH CASE HANGING OVER HIM
the verdict, but with bans of several months handed out for betting transgressions in the past, Euro 2020 has to be a serious doubt if he is found guilty. The niceties of a case still under review limit what the 30- year- old Atletico Madrid player can say, but his personal mantra to deal with the circumstances is clear.
“I can’t speak about anything about the FA case but I’m just thinking positively,” he said. “I just need to concentrate on my football, with my club, and I’m here now with England – trying to give my all like I’ve done throughout my whole career. My love’s always been there and it always will.
“I love coming away with England, every opportunity I get if I get picked.
“So my thought is just enjoying my football, like I have been doing for my whole career, for my club and country.”
Trippier has won 24 caps for England since his debut in 2017 and is due to start in the Nations League dead rubber against Iceland at Wembley tonight. But after his fantastic free- kick against Croatia seemed to set England on a course for the World Cup final in 2018, Trippier struggled for form first with his club and then found his international place taken.
Trippier added: “It was a good summer, so yeah, when I wasn’t in the squad for the Nations League 12 months later, obviously it was very difficult. I knew my performances at Tottenham weren’t at the standard of the other right- backs who got picked ahead of me.
“This is why I knew I needed a new challenge, new scenery and a new league maybe. I knew what I needed to do to get back into the England team and that was perform – and my levels needed to be much, much higher.
“We’ve got so many good players in my position, you just need to perform as well as you can for as long as you can for your club and try to keep yourself in the England team.”