Kieran Trippier: What’s next for Newcastle United defender as he prepares to leave?

His view is not surprising.

Trippier admitted it would be “emotional” to leave Newcastle At the end of his contract, after spending more time at the club than anywhere else in his senior career.

He is determined to end his four-and-a-half-year spell on a high, and could even return to the team for the final run after injuries to Luis Miley and Tino Livramento.

Line up against teams that might have a familiar look Nottingham Forest Sunday, as a result.

Nick Pope, Trippier, Dan Burn, Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton, Sandro Tonali, Joe Willock and Jacob Murphy could start. When they are all featured Newcastle Winning the EFL Cup last season ended a 70-year wait for a major domestic trophy.

It was Trippier who set up the opener in a 2-1 win over Bern Liverpool In the final, before going to Wembley to lift the trophy with captain Guimarães and former club captain Jamal Lascelles.

But it wasn’t necessarily part of Trippier’s “selfless” plan, as former team-mate Callum Wilson explained.

“He wasn’t interested in lifting the trophy,” said the striker, who is now West Ham.

“It took me and a few other senior players to say, ‘Go, get your hands on the trophy and lift it with everyone – all three of you do it together because it’s a team effort’.

“Ultimately, he played a big part in it too so I felt like that moment really summed him up as a character.”

Such a prospect seemed remote when the pair spoke on FaceTime to discuss the relegation-threat. NewcastleIts predicament – just weeks before Trippier joined the club from Atletico Madrid in January 2022.

The right-back proved to be a catalyst, as the first signing since the club’s Saudi-led takeover, and convinced others such as Guimaraes to follow in the mid-season window.

Yet Trippier’s decision to swap life in the Champions League for an immediate battle for survival led to accusations of outward greed.

The reality was a little different.

The Bury native wanted to return to the north of England for personal reasons and took a pay cut to reunite with head coach Eddie Howe, with whom he previously worked. Burnley.

He didn’t even have a relegation release clause in his contract.

Rather than being mercenary, the La Liga title winner’s quality, approach to training and desire to help lifted a team that had only recorded one win up to that point.

Trippier’s presence behind the scenes quickly struck a chord with former teammate Jonjo Shelvey.

“He’s a natural leader,” ExNewcastle Midfielder Dr.

“He stepped up at a time when the club was struggling and brought his wisdom and knowledge and helped us massively.”