Kieran Trippier warns Championship is 'relentless' ahead of Wolves debut
Kieran Trippier said the Championship is "relentless" and "totally different to the Premier League" after speaking at Wolves' Compton Park training base following his move to the club, with the full-back due to start the season in the Championship opener against Blackburn on Friday.
Trippier returned to the second tier for the first time since promotion with Burnley 12 years ago after leaving Newcastle at the end of last season, having been part of their rise under Eddie Howe and their Carabao Cup win. He spent three seasons at Atlético Madrid under Diego Simeone, where he won La Liga, and four years at Tottenham that included a Champions League final appearance. He has represented England at four major tournaments, playing every game on their run to the Euro 2024 final, and signed for Wolves on a two-year contract with the option of a further 12 months.
Three days after he completed his transfer, Wolves sacked manager Rob Edwards as César Peixoto's appointment was accelerated; Trippier said he had not expected the move. "I’m not going to sit here and lie, I wasn’t expecting it," he said, adding that he "just cracked on, I was with my kids on holiday, training in Mallorca and just looking forward to day one in pre-season." He denied reports that he sought to terminate his contract, saying: "I was just looking forward to reporting back to Wolves. I don’t know where it even came from to be honest, that I was looking to rip my contract up – it certainly didn’t come from me, otherwise you would have heard it from me, that’s just the player that I am."
Speaking about the Championship and his role helping team-mates adapt, Trippier recalled his early experience in the division at Barnsley and Burnley's 2-1 win at Wolves in 2012-13. "I’m not ashamed to go to the Championship because I played in it for many years," he said, and warned younger players: "I’ve just said: it’s relentless, because it is … and it’s totally different to the Premier League. Going to Lincoln away is going to be a difficult game, but they’re good lads who have listened to me, Tommy [Doyle], Adam [Armstrong]. The lads will be ready."
On Peixoto, Trippier said the new head coach was largely unknown to supporters but that he had pedigree, noting the Portuguese spent last season in charge of Gil Vicente. He described Peixoto as: "Really demanding. Honest. On the training field he is 100mph, nuts – in a good way – but he’s really, really demanding and I think that’s what we need as players if we want to be successful. He’s very demanding, like Pochettino and Simeone. He has his own rules: don’t break his trust, don’t be late. I wouldn’t like to be on his bad side, let’s put it that way." He added a lighter anecdote about language barriers: "When the postman used to come in Madrid, I used to get my son to answer because he was fluent," Trippier says, smiling.
Trippier confirmed he feels physically strong despite approaching 36 in September and noted the age gap with some team-mates. "I feel good, I feel probably in the best shape I’ve been in for many, many years. I’m not as fast as I used to be but I always believe I am clever and fast up here," he said, tapping his temples. "I feel like I’ve still got many years left in the tank." He is part of Peixoto’s leadership group and acknowledged the scrutiny that follows relegated clubs: "Going into the Blackburn game, the first game of the Championship season, all eyes will be on us."
Wolves begin their Championship campaign at Blackburn on Friday, and Trippier set out the squad’s objective plainly: "Our goal has to be to go straight back up to the Premier League."