Newcastle United new boy Kieran Trippier says he went to Spain to work on his defending and came back “a more complete player”.
The 31-year-old joined Newcastle United from Atletico Madrid earlier this month for a reported initial fee of £12m and says he returned to England a far better player.
The right-back made 86 appearances for Atletico Madrid and had a vital role in the side winning La Liga before he joined the Magpies.
Go here for all the latest Newcastle United news
Speaking to Sky Sports, the England international credited Atletico’s Argentine boss Diego Simeone with improving his defensive ability.
Simeone, who played nearly a hundred matches for Atletico Madrid himself, has managed the Spanish club since 2011. In that time they have won La Liga twice, the Copa del Rey once, the Europa League twice and have been Champions League runners up twice.
Explaining why he thought he was a better player than last time he played in the Premier League, Trippier said: “The experience that I’ve gained, developing into different styles of football and culture.
“So I think I’ve come back as a more mature player, a more experienced player, and it’s something that I’m very happy that I did, that I experienced everything I went through.
“I feel that I’ve come back as a more complete player than when I left.
“I wanted to improve my defending and there was no better manager to go and work for and I feel like I’ve developed as a much better payer from working with him.”
For the latest Newcastle news direct to your inbox, go here to sign up to our free newsletter
