'SECOND DIVISION PLAYER'
Pochettino hits back at Trippier over claims he forced defender out of Tottenham
MAURICIO POCHETTINO took a swipe back at Kieran Trippier by insisting: He was a Second Division player when I signed him.
The England star last week accused Spurs boss Poch and chairman Daniel Levy of forcing him out of the club in the summer to Atletico Madrid.
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Spurs signed Trippier from Burnley for £3.5million following the Clarets’ relegation in 2015.
And Poch said: “He was worried about whether he would play or not play - I said to him don’t worry we are going to provide the best platform for performance.
“Then one-and-half years later he was in our starting XI, he reached the national team, played the World Cup and now he’s with Atletico Madrid when he was in the Second Division when we signed him.
“I’ve got no problem with Kieran. I keep very good memories from him.
“We all feel proud to help him to achieve his dream and to reach a level that he wasn’t there at before he arrived at Tottenham.”
He also revealed Trippier had tried to contact him — with Harry Kane acting as peacemaker.
The Tottenham chief said: “Harry said to me did you get Kieran’s text? I said “no” because I changed my number.
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“Maybe because he doesn’t have the new number or because he believes his words were twisted - I don’t know anything more.”
Trippier was established himself as Tottenham’s first-choice right-back and was one of the stars of England’s 2018 World Cup campaign.
The Bury-born right-back, 28, also starred in Spurs’ historic Champions League run and played in the final where they lost 2-0 to Liverpool in Madrid.
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