England star reveals he was extremely close to joining Liverpool before signing for top four rivals

England international Kieran Trippier revealed he was once extremely close to joining Liverpool.

The 32-year-old has been crucial to Newcastle’s bid for a Champions League place this term.

Even before making the move to Tyne-side in January Trippier had enjoyed a glittering career at Tottenham and Atletico Madrid.

At Spurs, the right-back helped Spurs finish second in the Premier League in 2016/17 and two seasons later was key as Mauricio Pochettino’s side reached the Champions League final.

Meanwhile, his spell at the Wanda Metropolitano saw Atleti lift the La Liga crown in 2021.

Trippier to Liverpool

Trippier admitted that Liverpool were one of the clubs vying for his signature when he was a Burnley.

Speaking to the Under the Cosh podcast, Trippier said: “I think it was after the season we got promoted.

“Obviously, Tottenham, Everton and Liverpool – before they got [Nathanial] Clyne as well. It was me or him who was going to go to Liverpool."

In the end, Spurs signed Trippier for less than £4 million and reaped the rewards. The fullback went on to make 114 appearances for the club before eventually leaving for Atletico Madrid in 2019 for £20 million.

Trippier for England

Trippier will be one of England’s key men at the Qatar World Cup, and the full-back has not been scared to lay bare the Three Lions’ ambitions for the tournament.

When asked about his expectations heading into Qatar the full-back said: “We shouldn’t be afraid going into the tournament saying we can win it.

“We set high standards by getting to a semi-final of a World Cup and a final of a 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 26-man squad - unbelievable talent in there.

“Mixture of experience and youth. We shouldn’t be going into a tournament saying we should be scared of saying we want to win it.

“That shouldn’t be the case, we should go there with that winning mindset."