“I believe we can get promoted” 📈 | Kieran Trippier on Wolves’ ambitions, his future and more

Name: “I believe we can get promoted” 📈 | Kieran Trippier on Wolves’ ambitions, his future and more
Uploaded: 2026-10-20T14:00:17+00:00
Duration: 5 min 51 s
Description: Kieran Trippier tells Sky Sports that joining Wolves was a family-first decision rather than a money move, and reflects on his England and Atletico Madrid years. He says he believes Wolves can win…

Sky Sports Football

Trippier on choosing Wolves, his England career, the Atletico title and coaching ambitions

Kieran Trippier tells Sky Sports that joining Wolves was a family-first decision rather than a money move, and reflects on his England and Atletico Madrid years. He says he believes Wolves can win promotion and leans towards coaching young players after retirement.

Joining Wolves was about family and staying in England rather than chasing the biggest payday — He admits a move abroad would have made more financial sense, but being closer to his children mattered most and he sees Wolves as a massive club.
I was not afraid of dropping into the Championship — He has played in the Championship many times and knew some of the players, and he also calls Wolves a massive club.
Age is just a number and I want to keep playing for years — He is 36 but points to nutrition, recovery and self-care, plus the manager's strict standards, and cites Jamie Vardy as an example.
I accepted my England role without causing a fuss because the team comes first — He understood the competition and the plan, including not starting the final, and says wearing the England shirt was already a dream.
Winning La Liga with Atletico Madrid is the trophy I am most proud of — He feels the move was justified after the criticism he received, and winning the title on the final day under pressure from Barcelona and Real Madrid was special.
Diego Simeone is one of the great managers and taught me a lot — He calls Simeone an amazing person on and off the pitch and says winning the title under him was special.
Cesar is very demanding and will expect a lot from me on and off the pitch, which I can handle — He had not heard the “soul of the team” comment but sees Cesar as very demanding and believes his experience can help a young squad.
Wolves can get promoted and should not be shy about saying so — He says it is still early, but once the team clicks he believes in his teammates and the coach, and insists it is not arrogance.
I will take pressure off the younger players and put it on myself — He has played in huge games and sees pressure as a privilege, so he does not want teammates to feel it.
I am 100% leaning towards coaching and want to start at the bottom with young players — He still feels he has a few years left playing, but would like to coach young players from the ground up, while media work is less certain.

► Subscribe to Sky Sports Football: http://bit.ly/SSFootballSub ► Watch Sky Sports with NOW: https://bit.ly/NOWFootballYT Wolves defender Kieran Trippier speaks to Mark McAdam about his decision to play in the Championship, his wide playing career across multiple leagues, his time playing for England and what's next for him after his playing days are up. efl wolves kierantrippier eflchampionship Chapters: 00:00 - Intro 00:11 - Why Wolves? 00:47 - His EFL experience 01:16 - How long does he want to play? 01:58 - Playing for England 03:00 - Which trophy sticks out most? 03:40 - Playing under Diego Simeone 04:05 - The demands of this season 05:04 - What’s next after his playing days? ► EFL highlights: https://bit.ly/EFLHighlights2627 ► EFL Cup highlights: https://bit.ly/CarabaoCupHL ► SPFL highlights: https://bit.ly/SPFLHighlights2627 ► Bundesliga highlights: https://bit.ly/BundesligaHighlights2627 ► Buy this season’s shirts: https://bit.ly/SkySportsShop More from Sky Sports on YouTube: ► Sky Sports: http://bit.ly/SkySportsSub ► Sky Sports Boxing: http://bit.ly/SSBoxingSub ► Sky Sports Cricket: http://bit.ly/SubscribeSkyCricket ► Sky Sports Darts: https://bit.ly/SubSkySportsDarts ► Sky Sports F1: http://bit.ly/SubscribeSkyF1 ► Sky Sports Golf: https://bit.ly/SubscribeSkySportsGolf ► Sky Sports News: http://bit.ly/SkySportsNewsSub ► Sky Sports Premier League: https://bit.ly/SubscribeSkySportsPL ► Sky Sports Retro: http://bit.ly/SkySportsRetroSub ► Sky Sports WSL: https://bit.ly/SubscribeSkySportsWSL ► Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SkySportsFootball ► Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skysportsfootball ► TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@skysportsfootball / https://www.tiktok.com/@skysportswsl ► X: https://x.com/SkyFootball / https://x.com/SkySportsWSL ► Website: https://www.skysports.com ► To enquire about licensing Sky Sports content, you can find out more here: https://www.skysports.com/more-sports/news/31754/11434270/license-sky-sports-footage

Transcript

Kieran, great to see you. How you doing? Good, mate. You >> This is your new home, your seventh club. >> Yeah, I've loved it ever since I arrived here. Um, and like I said, a good good manager, good players, and good to be here. >> So, why was Wolves the right opportunity for you this summer because you could have gone abroad, you could have probably earned big money elsewhere. You've had such a fabulous career that you would without question a man in demand. >> Yeah, like I said, I could have gone abroad. Um, you know, financially it would have made sense for me to go abroad, but you know, I just wanted to to stay in England. Um, and there's more things to to money. Um, you know, I'm closer to my children, as I said before, uh, which is the most important thing for me. You know, Wolves is a massive club. Um, I wasn't frightened to to go down to the Championship, as we say. I've played in the championship many times in my career. Um, I know a few of the players. >> What do you remember about that first appearance back in 2010 on loan at Barnsley from Manchester City, just a young kid with a dream? >> Yeah. To be to make it. And you know, I thank Matt Robbins a lot as well. He made he gave me my debut. Darren Moore played a big part for the uh couple of months long spell before I went back. So I've done a full cycle. Um but I've enjoyed every minute of my career. Like I said many times I wouldn't change anything. Um and I big believe that everything happens for a reason. >> And you've quite publicly said a number of times like you know I'd like to keep going for for years and years and years. You know this, you know, Jamie Vardy is still going at 39, he's 40. um in in January, you know, you see other players that continue to play. Is that kind of your mentality and ambition? You just want to keep playing because you love the game so much. >> No, definitely. And I think going back to say the Burnley days or Barnesley days compared to now, it's light and day like the nutrition. Um there wasn't much back then compared to now, you know, like the body fats and everything like that. The manager here is um really really strict on things like this, but it's how you look after yourself, how you recover. Um, like you said, I'm 36, but I just think age is just a number. >> One thing I'd love to talk to you about your England career, it it's literally phenomenal. And it almost mirrors Sir Gareth Southgate as well because you were his man. Do you know how many England appearances you had? >> 54. >> Exactly. How many goals? >> One. >> Important goal as well. Shame about the result. That was Croatia. >> But you played in four major tournaments. And not just turn up and play in a World Cup. you know, you were getting to the latter stages of of tournaments and competitions. >> Yeah, like me and Gareth had a a really good understanding. Um, I knew the competition that I was up against, right back or left back, but um, you know, every players that played with me or manager that has coached me know what I'm all about as a character if I if I play or if I don't play. Um, now you look at the Euros one that I last played, I was starting the games. I knew I was only going to start until Shy was fully fit, which is rightly so. And I didn't start in the final, but I didn't kick up a fuss. That's not about me, it's about the team. Um, but I've enjoyed every moment, even to play one cap, never mind 54. Um, every time I put the shirt on, um, it was a dream. >> The League Cup at Newcastle, La Liga at Atletico Madrid. Is is there one trophy that you hold special that that feels like that's the one I'm most proud of? I think the one um obviously when I won the title last day of the season with Atletico Madrid is I think um I didn't I didn't have anything to prove but the amount of criticism I got should we say that I got when I moved there I think my move in the end was justified um you know I gave my all um for the club the city managed to win the league on the last day of the season and it's it's really really hard against obviously Barcelona Real Madrid uh the pressure that comes with playing for Atletico Mrid is is huge to win a La La Liga title with Diego Simeone. Like that's one of the greats, isn't it? >> No, it's an amazing feeling. Even going there in the first place um amazing guy um on and off the pitch, >> you taught me so much about myself and like you say to win players might not win anything, but um to win the to win the title out there was special. Um and I thank him for everything that he did for me in the club. >> You've obviously worked with some great managers. Cesar's come in as well and he said that you're the soul of the team. >> No, >> which is which is a big compliment. >> Yeah, I've not heard that. Um but he's really good. He's he's very very demanding. Um and obviously myself coming. I think he'll play demand a lot off me as well on and off the pitch which you know I can handle which I'll I'll help out as much as I can. We've got a young squad here and I believe, you know, um it's still early in the season, but once we start proper clicking, then I believe that we can um we can get promoted and we shouldn't be shy to say that. I'm not saying that in an arrogant way. I just believe in my teammates, the coach. So, I don't feel any pressure um because throughout my career, I played in huge games and like I if I see any of the young players taking pressure, I'll take it off them and put it on myself. Um that's what I think my responsibility is. I don't want any of my teammates to feel any pressure, but I played in some big games throughout my career. Um, there's no disrespect to the championship or anything cuz we got huge games, but yeah, you know, press is a privilege. >> Coaching, management, >> sporting director, >> media, >> what's the future? >> I'm not sure. You know, obviously I feel I still feel like I've got a good few years in me. Um, but coaching 100% um young players I'd like to coach and start at the bottom, start again, should we say. um media. I'm not too sure. You never know what could happen because I might want to do one thing and then in a couple of years time I'm doing something totally different. You know, I might could be doing something with you. You never know. >> You're always welcome. We'll take you. >> Yeah. You never know. Um it's something that I think I'd like to get into. You see a lot of ex players doing it. >> Um but I'm just just focused on playing football. Um I still feel good and in good shape, so hopefully there's many more years. >> Brilliant. Thank you very much. >> Absolute pleasure. Thank you so much. Really good to see you. >> Thank you very much, mate.