Kieran Trippier shares story behind how Spurs quietly transfer-listed him: ‘They sold me at the wrong time’

Atletico Madrid full-back Kieran Trippier has taken aim at former club Tottenham Hotspur for not showing any desire to keep him in north London.

The England international completed a £20m move to the Wanda Metropolitano earlier this summer and has since rediscovered his form in La Liga.

Why did Trippier leave Spurs? Five things to know…

• In 2017/18 Trippier registered the third-most assists for Spurs (5) and helped guide England to a World Cup semi-final.
• However, on his return from Russia, Trippier’s form significantly dipped.
• A lack of consistency and persistent injury problems agitated some members of the Spurs fanbase.
• Trippier has since explained how “there’s no excuse” for his poor form from the previous campaign.
• Though he has hit out at Pochettino and Levy for not doing more to keep him at the club.

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The buccaneering right-back had a difficult campaign in 2018/19, leading to a large amount of criticism from some sections of the match-going Lilywhite fanbase, which he has since addressed.

However, having relocated to the Spanish capital, the Bury-born defender is finding his feet once again, with his early performances yielding an inclusion in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the upcoming Euro 2020 qualifiers ahead of Kyle Walker.

The 28-year-old has now detailed why he left Spurs in the summer, explaining how neither chairman Daniel Levy or Mauricio Pochettino expressed a desire to retain his services.

In an interview with The Times, Trippier said: “I didn’t fall out of love with the game. It’s just you know when you’re not playing well, and you’re trying to get yourself out of it, it’s emotionally draining.

“Sometimes I was thinking, ‘God, I just wish the season was over’.”

“I heard rumours about them selling me and it’s not nice. That was playing on my mind for a few months. I tried to block it out.

“I decided to pull the manager in pre-season to see what’s going on. I spoke to him about his plans and I didn’t get a ‘yes’ and I didn’t get a ‘no’.

“I tried to speak to the chairman. I just didn’t really get an answer,” he said. “I didn’t get the impression that they wanted to keep me.”

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“Tottenham probably got rid of me at the wrong time”

Trippier turned his attention to how this season could have panned out had Spurs pulled out all the stops to keep him at the club.

The Atleti newcomer believes the summer break would have done his injury problems wonders and he would have returned to Pochettino’s XI for 2019/20 in top condition.

He added: “I set the bar high at the World Cup and they knew how well I could do but I just feel that Tottenham probably got rid of me at the wrong time because I just needed that four-week [summer] rest for recovery because I was struggling with injuries to come back, fresh, ready.

“But I’ve got no regrets. I’m at Atletico now. I have always wanted to play abroad.”