Kieran Trippier has revealed that he took a pay cut to join Newcastle United because it was the 'perfect' move for the England international and his family.
Trippier was the first signing of the new era after the 31-year-old decided to boldly swap life in the Champions League with Atletico Madrid for an immediate relegation dogfight with Newcastle in January, 2022. It was a gamble that paid off.
Trippier has proved a transformational figure at Newcastle, on and off the field, and the defender has helped take a side who were 19th place when he arrived to one that is now fighting for a place at Europe's top table less than a year-and-a-half later. To think pundit Simon Jordan was among those critics who previously claimed that Trippier joined Newcastle for 'one reason and one reason only' - the 'economic package' on offer. That could not have been further from the truth.
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"This was the perfect decision for me," Trippier told the High Performance podcast. "There were loads of comments when I first signed here as you can imagine: 'You came here for money'.
"What people don't actually realise is I came here on less money than when I was at Madrid. That's true. I could have signed a new three-year contract at Madrid.
"I had to come back to England for my family, my children. We were going through a difficult moment with all the stuff that was going on in my personal life as well, which could have sorted affected the club. I've got my reasons why I came back.
"I had good chats with the manager [Eddie Howe] and I just thought, 'Why not?' I knew they were 19th in the league. I have no regrets - even though I could have been playing in the Championship.
"I had no relegation clause. I took less money. I took a gamble but, again, I have no regrets. That's it."
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