‘I will fight for the shirt’: Kieran Trippier insists he joined Newcastle ‘for the project’ and not for financial reasons after completing £12m move from LaLiga champions Atletico Madrid
- Newcastle’s latest signing Kieran Trippier says he has not joined for the money
- The England full-back has completed a £12million move from Atletico Madrid
- ‘If people want to say it’s about money, they’re entitled to do so,’ Trippier said
- ‘But I know my reasons why – and money isn’t one of them,’ added the 31-year-old
Kieran Trippier says money was not the motivating factor in his decision to swap Spanish champions Atletico Madrid for Newcastle.
The England defender completed his £12million move yesterday and, while he will become the club’s highest earner, sources say his salary is not in excess of £100,000-per-week.
Tripper, 31, has signed a two-and-a-half-year deal on Tyneside after informing Atletico in the summer of his desire to return to England for family reasons.
Kieran Trippier says he has not joined Newcastle for the money after sealing a move to the club
Trippier, here with coach Eddie Howe, signed for Newcastle on a two-and-a-half year deal
He said: ‘Players who have played with me and managers I’ve worked with, they know what type of character I am. I will fight for the shirt and I love a challenge.
‘I came here for the project, everything about it. There was other interest but I didn’t think twice about joining Newcastle.
‘If people want to say it’s about money, they’re entitled to do so. But I know my reasons why – and money isn’t one of them.’
Eddie Howe has made it clear to the club’s owners he wants to maintain a harmonious dressing-room, and a sensible wage structure is key. Everton’s Lucas Digne is said to be asking for £200k-per-week and is no longer thought to be a Newcastle target.
Trippier was a key player as Atletico Madrid won the LaLiga title last season
‘There was other interest but I didn’t think twice,’ said Trippier after completing the £12m move
Howe, meanwhile, believes the capture of a current England international as the first signing of the Saudi-led regime will send a message to other targets.
‘It is a sign that the club has a huge pull,’ he said. ‘I’m not talking financially, either. Kieran hasn’t come for financial benefits.
‘He has come for the club and the longer-term vision. Hopefully other players from around the world will look at that and share his dream and vision.
Howe (right) said he hoped other players would share Trippier’s ‘longer-term vision’