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Kieran Trippier has insisted his gesture to Bruno Guimaraes on Saturday is a “non-story” after Newcastle United supporters were left confused.
Fans noticed the 34-year-old reject the armband midway through the second half against Leicester City. With Bruno Guimaraes, the team captain, luckily escaping a red card, Eddie Howe withdrew him given Newcastle's dominant three-goal lead.
A triple substitution saw Trippier introduced as he eases back to full fitness following a hamstring injury. Having captained the Magpies for most of his time at St James’ Park, Guimaraes went to give the armband to the veteran right-back.
However, Trippier instead pointed to Dan Burn, a mainstay in the Toon team this season and a key figure in Newcastle’s leadership group. This triggered debate on social media about why Trippier snubbed the captain role.
Speculation about his future has lingered since January when the Magpies turned down two offers from Bayern Munich. Further approaches in the summer were reportedly rejected, with Howe determined to keep Trippier on Tyneside.
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“The situation is business as usual,” he said amid rumoured Everton interest. “Tripps has trained really well this week. I'm surprised by a lot of the stories that have come out.
"(He's) a valuable member of the squad. His professionalism has been first-class. I'm not really sure where this has come from. His leadership skills, his ability with the ball, his assist record, everything he brings to the group we definitely want here."
Trippier has now gone public to downplay the armband fiasco over the weekend. Responding on X, formerly Twitter, the defender claimed the incident is a “non-story” - giving Toon fans clarity on the situation.
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