Kieran Trippier has admitted he “could have done a lot better” in games for Tottenham Hotspur this season.
The defender has struggled to replicate his form from the World Cup where he shone for England in Russia last summer, scoring a stunning free-kick in the semi-final defeat to Croatia.
He returned to Spurs and started the season well, netting another pinpoint free-kick against Fulham in the Premier League at Wembley.
But Trippier has struggled defensively throughout the campaign, culminating in a disastrous own goal in last month’s 2-0 loss to Chelsea.
Speaking ahead of England’s Euro 2020 qualifiers in the coming days, the right-back gave a frank assessment of his season so far.
“I could have done a lot better this season,” he said (via the Guardian). “I’ve picked up a lot of injuries and I’ll admit there have been games when I’ve looked back and thought: ‘I could have done this or that better.’
“You know when you’ve had a bad game but it’s all about learning. There is a lot of competition – me, Trent [Alexander-Arnold], Kyle [Walker] – and you’ve got Wan-Bissaka playing really well for Palace.
“But I am here now, and I need to impress to try and start for England and do the best I can between now and the end of the season. People say coming back from the World Cup and going straight back into it again is the reason but I don’t think it is.
“You pick up injuries. It would have been nice to have an extra week or something but the season came around early, so you’ve just got to get on with it.”
Trippier has received plenty of criticism from Tottenham fans this season, although there is a lack of agreement on who should be starting at right-back.
Serge Aurier and Kyle Walker-Peters haven’t been much better than Trippier, which could force Mauricio Pochettino into the market this summer – especially if one of them leaves.
At least Trippier is being honest about his displays, and his performances will hopefully improve during the run-in.
Read now – Why Wembley was never home for Spurs fans – @ FourFourTwo
