Full-back Kieran Trippier has revealed Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino played a humorous prank on him after he received a call-up to the England national team.
The 26-year-old right-back was called up to the Three Lions’ squad for the first time by manager Gareth Southgate last week with the call going to Pochettino first with the Spurs squad having travelled to Hong Kong.
It was a special moment for the former Burnley man with it being the ex-Under-21 international’s first call to the senior team.
However, boss Pochettino took the opportunity to play a prank on his player with Trippier telling that he believed he was being called in for a serious chat with the feeling that he had done something wrong.
“He called me in and said ‘I know what you did last night’,” told Trippier, as quoted by the Mirror.
“I thought I was in trouble even though I didn’t do anything. He scared me and brought in Hugo (Lloris), the captain. I thought ‘did I do something last night? No I didn’t’.
“He then said – congratulations, you have been called into England. I was delighted for my mum and phoned my parents straight away as they have done a lot of hard work to get me where I am.”
Trippier has long been awaiting a chance to play for both the England and even the Tottenham first team after making the move to north London in the summer of 2015 from Burnley.
He has often played as the backup to star Kyle Walker in the Spurs team, but with Walker’s future at Tottenham being thrown into doubt Trippier was awarded with more playing time and even started in important clashes against the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea.
He will now be hoping to receive his first cap for England with the Three Lions set to take on Scotland in a World Cup qualifier on Saturday before facing France in a friendly the following Tuesday.