Last summer, Kieran Trippier joined a select group of English players in making the switch to La Liga and signing for Atletico Madrid. The former Tottenham Hotspur man joins a list of ten other footballers to have moved to Spain since 1992, which includes Michael Owen, Jonathan Woodgate, and David Beckham. In the same timeframe, there have been an astonishing 135 Spanish players in the Premier League, highlighting the imbalance between the two leagues. If Trippier finds success in the foreign land, he may influence other English players to take the plunge as well.

One of the main complaints during Gareth Southgate’s tenure as England manager has been the fact that a lot of his key players simply aren’t getting enough game time at the clubs they have come up through. Phil Foden is a prime example of a player who could easily be a star for the country if he was given the opportunity to rack up more minutes for his club. The Manchester City man has been a key player for the Young Lions but barely gets a look in at the Etihad Stadium as he has to compete with the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva for a place in Pep Guardiola’s XI.

Not a bad way to end the international break



2 wins from 2, 2 goals, job done.#YoungLions pic.twitter.com/Q1iDlKkFUX — Phil Foden (@PhilFoden) September 9, 2019

Kieran Trippier has been a solid figure for England and starred in the World Cup in Russia. But, with the emergence of other options in his position such as Trent Alexander-Arnold, coupled with falling out of favour with Mauricio Pochettino at Spurs, the right-back needed a career change to stay in Southgate’s plans. He became the first English player in Atletico’s history last summer and now has the opportunity to be coached by another one of the best managers in the business, in Diego Simeone. The free-kick specialist has improved the Argentine’s squad, and Atletico can be found at 13/2 to top the division this season in the football betting from Space Casino.

If Trippier can continue the red hot form that yielded an assist in the first game, he may influence other youngsters to push for moves across the continent. Jadon Sancho is another prime example of an England player who has flourished by moving away from his home turf. The 19-year-old came up through City’s academy but joined Borussia Dortmund to begin his senior career. The forward has been brilliant in the Bundesliga, and his glittering performances have led to eight call-ups to the national team to date.

There are plenty of English players who will be itching for moves in order to earn more playing time and get into contention for the national squad. English players moving to Spain have enjoyed mixed success over the years but the landscape could be different in the modern game. There may well be a few more players following in Trippier’s footsteps in the future.

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