Tottenham Hotspur defender Kieran Trippier has credited Mauricio Pochettino and Gareth Southgate for making him a better player. The former Burnley man has built up a reputation during his three seasons with Tottenham Hotspur and he is now expected to be a regular for the Three Lions at the summer World Cup.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Trippier acknowledged the efforts of both Pochettino and Southgate in shaping up his career, he said: “Mauricio Pochettino has had a huge influence on my career, but Gareth has too. He has had a massive impact and helped me become a better player. Obviously I am very thankful to him for picking me in the first place. The way we work with England is similar to what I do at Tottenham, but Gareth wants me to be a bit more defensive.”
Trippier has generally played second fiddle to Kyle Walker for the right wing-back spot, but things have changed over the past month with Gareth Southgate deciding to play the latter as part of a central defensive three. As such, Trippier has got the opportunity to make his maiden start at a major competition and it will be interesting to see how he performs at the World Cup.

On paper, England are not regarded as one of the stand out favourites for the global tournament but based on the result of late, they could be some surprise results in store. The likes of Brazil, Argentina, and Germany have all failed to win their opening group stage games and the latter, in particular, suffered the shock of the tournament after losing 1-0 at the hands of Mexico.
As such, the morale should be relatively high among the young bunch of English players, who are not expected by many to win the World Cup. Harry Kane is expected to lead the line from the front being the skipper but the defence is likely to play an important role in the Three Lions’ quest for another major trophy.