The former England man is not concerned about the prospect of being benched at the Nou Camp
Newcastle United's Kieran Trippier
Newcastle United's Kieran Trippier prepares for tonight's game with Barcelona(Image: Newcastle United via Getty Images)
View Image
Newcastle United star Kieran Trippier said his only concern will be helping his team-mates at the Nou Camp tonight - even if he is benched.
Trippier was an unused substitute at Stamford Bridge on Saturday night with Tino Livramento back from a hamstring injury. It is pretty much a toss up for Eddie Howe who starts against the La Liga table toppers this evening.
But even if he does not start, Trippier is keen to lend a helping hand in the dressing room, he said: "I think about myself, if I play or I don't play, I'm always involved, I am always helping.
"If Tino is playing I help. The lads haven't really asked me much about the stadium, or things like that, but I always help the young lads, if it's Will Osula, for example, or whoever it may be, it can be anybody, if they're interested, they can come to me, ask me any questions, about anything, football or not, I think I have the trust of the players.
"I think I have the voice for the players as well. It is not just me in the leadership group. We have a really strong relationship with the youth."
The game could yet end up being the pinnacle of Trippier's career at Newcastle in terms of the illustrious backdrop and magnitude of the occasion. Trippier's contract is up at the end of the campaign and he did nothing to suggest he was definitely staying when asked last night at the Nou Camp.
Given Newcastle were at the bottom of the Premier League when he signed and lost to lowly Cambridge in the FA Cup on Trippier's debut the veteran full-back has come full circle.
He said: “When you’re 19th in the league and only have one win, I don’t think anybody expected us to be here!
“We have earned the right to be here but I think it’s key and crucial that we maintain the standards we have shown throughout the years to be in this position. This is where we want to be. This is where the football club needs to be, in Europe.
“We’ve seen how these special moments mean to the club. I think there are 10,000 Geordies coming out so that speaks volumes for the supporters. They have backed us through tough moments.
“We need to learn to put more performances on the pitch and get more points to finish in those European places.”
Content Image
Content Image
Here at ChronicleLive, we are dedicated to bringing you the best Newcastle United coverage and analysis.
Make sure you don't miss out on the latest NUFC news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.
You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day's biggest stories.
And, finally, if you would rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Everything is Black and White podcast. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and you can also watch along on YouTube.