K ieran Trippier’s eyes light up and a little smile plays around the corners of his mouth. Newcastle’s right-back has just been asked about the “dark arts” or, to put it less euphemistically, the “shithousery” Eddie Howe’s team have become noted for and his response is emphatic. “I love it,” he says. “The best for me was Atlético Madrid’s Stefan Savic.
He used to pull people’s hair, even in training. It was crazy but I love all that. Of course, opposition fans aren’t going to like it but I think it’s good to see.
I don’t see why everyone’s kicking off about it: it’s good!” It is 13 months since Trippier swapped Madrid for Newcastle and a reunion with Howe, a manager he has remained close to since the pair worked together at Burnley more than a decade ago.
These days he is Howe’s first lieutenant on the pitch and will not be averse to introducing elements of gamesmanship should it become necessary to disrupt Manchester United’s momentum during Sunday’s Carabao Cup final at Wembley.