Micah Richards delivers strong verdict on Newcastle united star Kieran Trippier

Micah Richards is of the opinion that Manchester City made a colossal error by allowing Kieran Trippier, who is now on his way to becoming a star at Newcastle United, to depart the club. Since returning from a successful stint at Atletico Madrid, the English international has established himself as one of the most consistently outstanding performers in the Premier League.

Back in 2012, Trippier, who never had the chance to make a senior appearance for Manchester City, was permitted to leave the club permanently after a loan period at Burnley. During his time with Burnley, he played a pivotal role in their promotion to the Premier League, and subsequently enjoyed a fruitful four-year spell with Tottenham.

Recalling his memories of Trippier’s career and his recent standout performance in Newcastle’s resounding home victory over Crystal Palace, Richards mentioned that he had come through the academy ranks alongside Trippier at Manchester City, and they had competed for a spot with Pablo Zabaleta. Richards recounted a particular training exercise where he witnessed Trippier being consistently outplayed by Emmanuel Adebayor, the club’s £25 million signing. Richards shared his perspective on the situation in an interview with The Rest is Football podcast, saying, “I just remember in training, we were doing this session of attack versus defence, you might have four defenders versus three attackers or vice versa. He was up against Adebayor, you know Adebayor always went to the left side, held it up and did some skills or what not. Every time Adebayor got the ball, he absolutely destroyed Trippier in a one-on-one situation. The manager at the time, I think it was Mancini, but what everyone didn’t know, the part of his game which was the best was going forward. They were exploiting his weaknesses and not seeing his strengths.”

Richards further explained that he and his teammates believed it was a grave mistake to allow Trippier to leave for Burnley. Their view was that Trippier should have been sent out on loan for a couple of seasons to gain more experience and physicality. However, Richards recognized the exceptional qualities in Trippier, including his technique, timing of his runs, passing ability, and unwavering commitment. He saw in him the potential to become a top player. Trippier went on to have a record number of assists in the Championship with Burnley and performed exceptionally well at Tottenham. Richards acknowledged that it was a bit challenging with Kyle Walker also being at Manchester City at the same time. Trippier later moved to Atletico Madrid, where he won the league. Upon returning, he continued to impress for England. In Richards’ eyes, Trippier is one of the most underrated full-backs, especially considering the competition with players like Kyle Walker, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Reece James. He praised Trippier for his consistency and the remarkable level of football he has been displaying, emphasizing that he is a remarkable talent.