After demonstrating his fitness during England’s friendly victory over Bosnia in Newcastle last night, Kieran Trippier maintains he is “ready to go for the Euros.”
After suffering a calf injury that kept him out of action for the majority of the season, Trippier was involved in yet another injury scare when he was substituted in the first half of Newcastle’s exhibition match against Tottenham at the end of the season.
That was a prearranged move, though, as the 33-year-old played for the first hour as England won the first of their two warm-up games ahead of their opening group stage match at the Euros against Serbia on June 16 after insisting he was fully fit before last night’s match at St. James’ Park.
Trippier’s availability is a huge plus for Gareth Southgate, as concerns over Luke Shaw’s health suggest he might start at left back when England play their opening match of the tournament in Gelsenkirchen.
“Am I prepared to begin? Trippier responded, “I guess you’ll have to ask Gareth.” “I’m in shape. Needless to say, I include myself in the squad if I choose it. That’s up to Gareth, but I believe that at this point everyone is aware of who I am, and whether I play or not, I’ll be prepared.
“I felt pretty fit going into the Bosnia game, and it was vital to get another 60-odd minutes under my belt. I have a great sensation, I feel young, and I’m prepared to compete in the Euros. After that, we’ll return for preseason play and monitor developments.
Trippier sustained a calf injury in early March; although it was initially anticipated that the injury would keep him out of action for a few weeks, it took him until mid-May to make his Newcastle comeback.
There have been rumours that he was prioritizing his ambition to play for England at the Euros over the demands of his club team, but he maintains that this is untrue.
“Being hurt was a tough moment,” he remarked. “That was undoubtedly a trying time for me when I was injured. Since it was a busy conclusion to the season, I made a concerted effort to recover as soon as possible for Newcastle, but in the end, I had to accept that it was a serious injury.
“All that matters is knowing, in my mind, that I did everything I could to get back as soon as possible.”
The Newcastle captain was particularly proud of last night’s match since, in addition to leading his nation on his home pitch, he did it while Jacob, his son, was there to serve as a mascot.
Leading the guys out and having my son with me made it an extremely memorable evening, Trippier remarked. “He has left me with Newcastle on previous occasions, but never with England.” He had a terrific time, and I was able to sneak him into the locker room after the game so I could take some pictures of him with the boys. It is always an honour to represent the nation as well as to captain the team.
