Sean Dyche’s 'lovable' Kieran Trippier comments that may explain surprise Newcastle United transfer links

The 33-year-old is reportedly set to leave Newcastle United before the end of the summer window, with Everton interested in a loan move for him. Trippier has worked with Sean Dyche before whilst at Burnley together and, as the Toffees boss revealed on the High Performance Podcast, the pair still maintain a good relationship to this day.

“Kieran Trippier, he FaceTimed me off the pitch when they won La Liga. I mean, that is awesome, and I'm just like, "Tripps, what on earth?'” Dyche said.

“That means so much to me because he knows that I had a reaction with him and him with me, where it rubbed off on him. Things like that mean as much to me as all sorts of different things that happen in my career.

“I don't like to mention favourites apart from Kieran. That's what I always tell the players, I go "you know I don't do favourites, lads, apart from Kieran.”

Trippier joined the Clarets after leaving Manchester City without making a single senior appearance for the Citizens. He soon found a home at Turf Moor, however, becoming an important part of Dyche’s team as they secured promotion from the Championship together in the 2013/14 season.

Despite coming through the academy at Manchester City, Trippier really solidified himself as a Premier League player whilst at Burnley before going onto become a regular for England. However, as Dyche noted, it wasn’t all plain sailing for Trippier during his first few months at the club: “We got him as a little butter ball; he wasn't in the shape he needed to be in [but he was a] very talented young man.” Dyche continued.

“A bit loose, but he had a lovely edge about him. I love it, he's a little lovable rogue, not nothing terrible, not in big trouble or anything, just got an edge, and I really loved it on him.

“I just needed to push him a little bit, cajole him a little, but he listened. So therefore, you build a real rapport; he did fantastic for us, had an amazing time at Burnley before he went to Tottenham, and just always respected it.

“And now and again, he'll ring me for advice read, and we just sort of kept in touch, got to know a couple of his mates and his family a little bit. He got me tickets for the Euros (in 2021) and stuff like that.

“He still FaceTimes me, now and again, rings me, ‘alright, Gaffer, everything alright?’ I'm going, ‘yeah, cool, what's happening, Tripps?’”

Trippier would move to Tottenham Hotspur after Burnley’s relegation back to the Championship, a club he would spend four years at and play in a Champions League final for before leaving to Atletico Madrid. He would then become Newcastle United’s first signing post-takeover joining in a £12m deal from the La Liga side.