Pundit defends former Spur for leaking news of his exit from North London

Former Sunderland striker Kevin Phillips believes the FA’s decision to charge Kieran Trippier for breaching betting rules is extremely harsh.

Trippier completed a move from Tottenham to Atletico Madrid last summer and the full-back has reportedly been accused of breaching betting rules related to the transfer (Independent).

The statement released by the FA indicated that the defender was involved in either placing a bet or aiding others in betting regarding his move from North London to Spain.

The 29-year-old who was charged on Friday has been given until May 18th to respond to the charge.

The England international has pleaded his innocence and claimed that he has completely cooperated with the investigation (Mirror).

Phillips believes it was only natural that the defender would have told those close to him that his transfer was a done deal and that it would be harsh to punish him for it.

Speaking to Football Insider, the former Premier League Golden Boot winner said: “Even when I moved clubs you tell people, “I am moving on, I am going to sign for so and so.

“You can only say to whoever you have told, ‘Please do not put a bet on it’. It is hard.

“Sometimes you cannot trust everyone, even people that are close to you.

“It is very harsh but they are the rules and it has happened to other people. Daniel Sturridge was punished for a similar breach.

“It is always tough to not tell anyone. If I had been told I was signing for Real Madrid – you cannot wait to tell people. It is the rules, but it is harsh. You cannot just disappear.”

Spurs Web Opinion

One can understand why the betting rules regarding footballers are so strict as it is quite easy for players or people close to them to take advantage of the inside information. However, if it is found that Trippier wasn’t cognizant of the fact that a bet was placed, the FA should show some leniency towards the former Spurs defender.

Related Topics