Trippier: I won’t waste my last shot at World Cup glory

ENGLAND’S Kieran Trippier insists he has no plans to retire from international duty but concedes that this World Cup is likely to be his last.

Trippier is set to start in England’s opener against Iran on Monday with Kyle Walker being eased back to fitness following groin surgery.

The Newcastle full back is one of England’s most experienced players and, at 32, is entering the latter stages of his career. As the third-oldest member of Gareth Southgate’s 26-man party behind Walker and Jordan Henderson, Trippier accepts he is unlikely to play at the 2026 World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico. ‘I’m realistic, I know I am up against Trent Alexander-Arnold and Reece James, who are 24 and 22,’ said Trippier. ‘The next World Cup is in four years’ time, so I probably won’t be there. I’m not saying I’m retiring but I’ve got to respect that I’m up against unbelievable competition, younger players than me. ‘I’ll never, ever retire from England until the manager tells me otherwise, I’ll always give my all if I’m called upon. But I’m up against very good right backs and they’re very young as well. I need to keep performing for as long as I can, as high as I can, and I’ll never quit.’ Former Atletico Madrid full back Trippier said England should embrace expectation levels heading into Qatar. ‘We shouldn’t be afraid of going into the tournament saying we can win it,’ he said. ‘We set high standards by getting to the semi-final of the last World Cup and the final of the Euros. Obviously we want to go one step further to actually win a tournament. ‘We all feel confident as a group, we’ve got a fantastic squad with unbelievable talent in there and a mixture of youth and experience. We should go there with that winning mindset.’

Trippier’s performances for Newcastle this season have been exemplary. Only Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne and Fulham’s Andreas Pereira have created more chances in the Premier League. But now he is throwing all his energy into success with England. ‘If you look at nearly every player in the England squad, they are having to deal with pressure every day,’ he added.

‘They are all playing massive competitions, Champions League, Europa League, so they are all under that pressure — coming away with England should be no different.

‘We feel like we have a squad to deal with the pressure. For me it’s no problem —

I want to go to that tournament to win.’ The England players will have plenty of down time to consider their own thoughts. That can be difficult, particularly when they are so far from home. Some players thrive in their own company. Others will need an arm around the shoulder. Trippier said: ‘I’m used to it now and my family is used to it. My wife can’t wait for me to get away! ‘If players go through moments where they are down or missing their families, myself, Harry Maguire, Harry Kane and all the older people are there. ‘Everybody goes through bad days but we have that great unity in the squad to notice if someone is feeling down. ‘We’ve got a really good group, we are like a family, we have shown that over the past two tournaments. So there’s certainly no negativity around the England camp — it’s a great laugh really.’