Kieran Trippier will lead his side out as Champions League football returns to Newcastle
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Kieran Trippier has revealed his own son would rather walk out as Kylian Mbappe’s mascot than the Newcastle United defender when his side face Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Trippier’s six-year-old son Jacob will reportedly be a Newcastle United mascot as Champions League football returns to Tyneside for the first time in 20 years.
It will be a momentous occasion for the club who fell below their high standards during Mike Ashley’s ownership – a period which saw them spend two years in the Championship, in 2016-17 and 2009-10.
The return of the top European football to St James’ Park has already included a light show over the stadium with drones from shirt sponsor Sela spelling out the players’ names in an eight-minute performance.
“I was having a bit of banter with him (Tripper’s son) last night, and he said he wanted to walk out with Mbappe instead of me.” Tripper said reported by The Times.
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“I wasn’t really happy with that! He’s obsessed with him, he’s always watching his clips on YouTube.
“I said to him ‘if you get to walk out with Mbappe, you don’t look at me in the tunnel!”
Trippier has been a star in Newcastle’s resurgence over the last two seasons, since he joined from Atletico Madrid in January 2022 in the first transfer window of Eddie Howe’s reign at the club.
Wednesday will offer a new challenge to the England right-back, he will have to directly mark World Cup-winner Mbappe. But Trippier has already done so before, for England and Tottenham, although many of the Newcastle team had not played in the Champions League before their first group game against AC Milan.
Kieran Trippier will have a battle to contain Kylian Mbappe on Wednesday night
“For me personally it’s a challenge that I’m ready for,” he said. “I’ve played against many good players and many good wingers in my career. This game is going to be no different.
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“The Champions League is where I want to play and you play against the best wingers in the world. I played against him on his debut game for Monaco, when I was at Tottenham, I played against him for England on my debut. That was quite a few years ago. He is a fantastic player, but you want to play against the best.”
Newcastle will be looking to Trippier for leadership, as only six players in their starting XI against AC Milan had played in the competition before and, of those, Alexander Isak had just one appearance to his name.
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