Former Tottenham defender Kieran Trippier has hit out at the club for delaying surgery that forced him to miss seven matches at new club Atletico Madrid.
The England fullback made the move to Spain in a £20million deal last summer, not long after starting the Champions League final for Spurs against Liverpool.
Trippier’s final season in North London saw him struggling for form after impressing with his performances at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
And the 29-year-old has pointed the finger at Spurs for his dip in form, saying he was put under pressure to hold off on a much-needed groin operation last season.
“I certainly feel I am a better player than I was last season at Tottenham,” Trippier said. “Last season was a difficult moment because I was struggling with injuries.
“It is not an excuse because I was not hiding about it.
“But I struggled for months with my groin and pelvis and I eventually had surgery just after the winter break in Spain in January.
“Because of the timing of the break and the operation I was only out for a few weeks and now I feel so much better.
“I should have had it last season at Spurs but people didn’t want me to have it then. I had so many issues with the last season there and about the way I performed and struggled with injuries.
“It got to a point where I had to have surgery this season and really I should have had it done last season.
“But there were so many important games... I don’t really want to go into it.”
Managing the injury before eventually having the surgery led to Trippier missing seven games for Atletico earlier this season.
He missed out on his side’s first leg 1-0 win over Liverpool in the Champions League last-16 at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium, before returning for the 3-2 victory in the second leg.
Trippier was charge earlier this month by the FA for breaching betting rules around his transfer to Spain, but has nevertheless been back in training ahead of La Liga’s return on June 12, and feels he has put his difficult final season at Spurs behind him.
“I have settled in really well in Madrid and I am enjoying my football again, which is the most important thing,” he added.
