England manager Gareth Southgate believes Tottenham full-back Kieran Trippier is one of the ‘best right-backs in the country’.
The 26-year-old could be handed his first senior international appearance after being named in Southgate’s 25-man England squad for the upcoming internationals against Scotland and France in June.
Southgate’s squad was confirmed on England’s official Twitter account on Thursday afternoon, where Trippier was named alongside Tottenham’s Kyle Walker, Eric Dier, Dele Alli and Harry Kane.
Trippier has previously featured at youth level, earning caps at Under 18 through to Under 21 level, but had yet to make the jump to the senior squad prior to Thursday’s squad announcement.
But Southgate admits he has often been keeping an eye on the Tottenham ace, a scouting mission which dates back to his Burnley days between 2011 and 2015, and insisted he had the exact mentality he was looking for.
He told the FA’s official website: “He’s a player that I’ve watched a lot, from when he was at Burnley. He has had limited game time at Spurs but he fits the profile of a full-back that we like – he’s very good with the ball and I like his mentality.
“He’s a player we wanted to bring in so he gets a feel for how we work, and it’s a good opportunity for us to look at him.
“He and Kyle [Walker] will have been pushing each other every day and, in my opinion, they along with Nathaniel Clyne are the three best right-backs in the country.”
Trippier made just 12 Premier League appearances during the 2016-17 campaign, having spent the majority of the campaign operating as deputy to the first-choice Walker at Tottenham.
However, a fine run of form over the final few months of the season saw him replace Walker in the starting eleven, where he retained his place, despite Walker being readily available.
He contributed seven assists from his 22 appearances in all competitions last season, and could be set to be rewarded for his efforts with his senior debut against either Scotland or France.
England face Scotland in a World Cup qualifier on June 10, before a visit to France in an international friendly on June 13.