Kieran Trippier has opened up on a conversation he had with Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino prior to joining Atletico Madrid.
In arguably one of the more surprising transfers of the summer, the England international completed his £20m move to the La Liga giants on Wednesday.
He is actually one of two defensive signings made by Diego Simeone's side in the past 24 hours as they've also completed a deal for Mario Hermoso as a replacement for Diego Godin.
Trippier was unveiled at a media press conference today and it was there where he addressed his decision to move to Spain.
"He was massive," Trippier said of Simeone ."From watching Atletico over the years you see what he demands of his team, the work ethic. They give everything for the team, the badge. It’s like a big family here and I wanted to be a part of this.
"For me, he’s one of the best managers in the world and it’s an absolute privilege to play for him and give everything I can for him.
Furthermore, Trippier revealed he spoke with Pochettino about Atletico's interest and said it as too good of an opportunity to turn down.
"Obviously the Premier League is one of the best leagues in the world, but when Atletico Madrid were interested I didn’t think twice," he added.
"It was a great opportunity for myself, my family, to come and live in Madrid and experience it.
"Me and Mauricio (Tottenham boss Pochettino) had a conversation about my future.
"I explained there was a big opportunity at Atletico Madrid and it was an opportunity that I didn’t want to turn down."
Trippier's exit leaves Pochettino with somewhat of a headache at right-back ahead of the new season.
Serge Aurier and Kyle Walker-Peters are the obvious candidates, but there's speculation regarding both players' futures.
