Callum Wilson has admitted that Kieran Trippier put his career at risk when he swapped Atletico Madrid for Newcastle United last year.
The right-back was the first signing made by the new owners, arriving for just £12million from the Spanish giants. It was an incredible deal at the time, and it will forever go down as one Newcastle’s best ever signings.
While small in stature, Trippier has been a giant in black and white. He immediately became a leader in the dressing room, and helped raise standards at the club.
Fast forward 12 months and he captains the side most weeks, and is arguably playing the best football of his career.
It was a real shock to see Trippier join the Magpies this time last year, back when Eddie Howe’s side still looked like certainties for relegation.
But with new recruits and fantastic coaching, Newcastle were able to avoid the drop and are now looking up. In contrast to last January, the Toon are currently chasing Champions League football and could be off to Wembley for the League Cup final next month.
For Trippier, the move could not have gone much better. And it is a move that could have gone really wrong.
Callum Wilson on Kieran Trippier’s decision to join Newcastle
Wilson has been speaking on the latest episode of the Footballer’s Football Podcast, and spoke about the signings the club made during the 2022 January transfer window.
“We had a situation last season where Newcastle was looked upon as a project,” Wilson said.
“We were in a relegation battle at the time and we signed players like Kieran Trippier, Dan Burn and Chris Wood.
“These guys put their careers potentially at risk – especially Trippier. He came from Atletico Madrid, playing European football and I applaud that you come here and help the team stay in the division and then reap the rewards off the back of it.”
Risk paying off for Trippier
As Wilson says, it was a career-defining risk for Trippier to join Newcastle. He left a Champions League club for a team that looked destined for the Championship.
But he has completely bought into the project at St James’ Park, and is very much the standard bearer on Tyneside nowadays.
We benefitted from his desire to leave Spain and return to England, but Newcastle is now Trippier’s home. He is idolised for his efforts in black and white, and could soon be leading the club out for a cup final at Wembley.
If Newcastle avoid defeat to Southampton on Tuesday night, they will be in the 2023 League Cup final. It would be the Magpies’ first cup final since 1999, and a chance to end the trophy drought that has ran since 1969.
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