Newcastle defender Kieran Trippier joked that his mascot kid would rather walk out with PSG star Kylian Mbappe than him… but he has been warned not to look his father in the eyes if he does! Kieran Trippier was not amused by the many questions he was asked about Kylian Mbappe, the player his Newcastle manager Eddie Howe had just described as “the best in the world.” Trippier is a star in his own right, and he was not going to submit to the’starstruck’ story that was being manufactured. He brushed off a question about swapping clothing as if kicking his opponent into touch.
But when Mail Sport brought up his six-year-old son, Jacob, who will be one of the mascots back here at St James’ Park this evening, he was ready to let down his guard.
‘I was having a bit of banter with him last night, and he suggested he wanted to walk out with Mbappe instead of me, which didn’t sit well with me!’ The England defender revealed. ‘He’s enamored with him and is constantly viewing his YouTube clips. I replied, “If you get to walk out with Mbappe, you don’t look at me in the tunnel!” .’
Trippier’s son will be clutching a gloved hand if he walks out with Mbappe. Last night, the France superstar was only a few minutes into training at St James’ Park when he asked a staff member to get him some gloves. For the record, it was 13 degrees Celsius in Tyneside, the temperature at which most Geordies remove layers rather than add them. When Mail Sport shared a video of him asking for his gloves, one commenter responded, ‘Trippier 1 Mbappe 0’.
Their clash is an intriguing subplot to the highlight matches of this week’s Champions League group matchups. Right winger vs. left winger. The best of Newcastle United vs the best of Paris Saint-Germain. It is the location where the game can be won or lost.
Trippier handled the earlier barrage of questions as deftly as he will hope to manage Mbappe, who was watched in the media room by former Newcastle and PSG stars David Ginola and Laurent Robert, another pair of useful left-wingers.
‘For me personally, it’s a challenge that I’m ready for,’ declared the 33-year-old, nine years Mbappe’s senior. ‘I’ve played against many good wingers in my career. This game is no different. The Champions League is where I want to play, and you play against the best wingers in the world.
What about him being the world’s very best?
‘Yeah, I think he is certainly one of the best players in the world,’ replied Trippier, not wishing to grant his rival such an exulted status on his own.
‘Over the past few years, he has been incredible. But as we do every game, if it is Burnley, Paris or West Ham on Sunday, we always prepare to win the game and how we can hurt the position. This is no different.’
There will not be a special plan reserved for Mbappe, either. At least that was the official line last night.
‘I don’t believe in playing man-to-man marking, that won’t happen,’ said Howe. ‘It will be around our units nullifying space and trying to keep, probably, the best player in the world quiet.’
To win, though, Howe has warned his players of the level they must hit. ‘We need to be perfect,’ he announced.
They were not perfect in Milan a fortnight ago and escaped with a point despite conceding 26 shots. But Newcastle have won three on the spin in the Premier League since and, with St James’ sure to be bouncing for the first Champions League game here in 20 years, PSG boss Luis Enrique sounded a fearful note.
‘They are the team from pot four that no one wanted,’ said the Spaniard. ‘We know they play at a very high level. They are good in possession, and then off the ball, they play with a very high press. They’re almost a complete football team, really.’
Enrique played and scored for Barcelona in the first ever Champions League match at St James’ in 1997, when Tino Asprilla scored a famous hat-trick in a 3-2 victory for the hosts.
‘It wasn’t easy back then – and I don’t suppose it will be easy tomorrow,’ said Enrique. ‘It is a hostile atmosphere, but hostile from a sporting point of view.
It’s an amazing place to play, and it’ll be interesting to watch how my teammates adjust to playing at St James’ Park. I envy them because they get to experience it firsthand on the field.’
There had been some concern about Mbappe’s fitness last week, but when questioned if he was “100%,” Enrique chose to ignore the UEFA interpreters. ‘Si. Oui. ‘Yes,’ he said.
He may be fit, but is he prepared for Trippier and a frigid Geordie welcome? He’ll need more than just gloves for this.
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