‘I wasn’t wanted’ – Former Spurs star opens up on exit by hitting out at Daniel Levy

Kieran Trippier has blasted Daniel Levy for the way his exit from Tottenham occurred, revealing he was frustrated by the chairman offering him around to different clubs. 

Trippier, 31, left Spurs after a four-year stint in 2019 for a move to Atletico Madrid (BBC Sport), with his last game for the club ending in a Champions League final defeat to Liverpool. 

After two-and-a-half years in Madrid, which yielded one La Liga title, the right-back made a return to England earlier this month to join Newcastle as the club’s first signing under the new Saudi-led regime (Sky Sports).  

Trippier has since opened up on his last moments at Spurs and admits his performances in his final year at the club were not up to standard. 

However, the England international also feels annoyed at the way his departure from the club was handled by Levy, claiming he knew he ‘wasn’t wanted’ by the Spurs chief well before the end of the campaign. 

In an interview with Alan Shearer for The Athletic, Trippier said: “If you look back to the last few months of my Tottenham career, I admit that I wasn’t at the levels that I was at the (2018) World Cup and there’s no excuse for that. 

“As a footballer, you’re trying to do your best and sometimes things don’t go your way. It just wasn’t happening, but I was still getting picked by Mauricio Pochettino.

“After the Champions League final, it felt like the right time to move on. The media weren’t really on my side at the time and maybe I needed to get out of England for a bit just to clear my mind. I never looked back.

“What annoyed me … as you know, people in football speak and there are always rumours, but I know 100 per cent for a fact – and this is what I was most angry about – that two months before the end of the season, Daniel (Levy, the chairman) was offering me to other clubs. 

“I knew for certain that was happening, so I knew my time there must be up. I was playing for my teammates and the supporters, but I also knew I wasn’t wanted.”

Spurs Web Opinion 

Trippier’s final season at Spurs was disappointing and we can see that he understands the performances weren’t up to scratch too. But to his credit, it must have been pretty hard having to play knowing that his future didn’t lie at the club. 

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