‘It surprised me’. Newcastle coach reacts to rumours of team leader's move away

Recently, the media reported that Newcastle defender Kieran Trippier intends to leave the team. Still, the head coach of ‘Magpies’ Eddie Howe, apparently, is not aware of these rumours.

The Newcastle manager countered this information and said that he remains committed to the team:

‘The situation is pretty normal. Kieran worked well in training last week. It surprised me, these stories that have come out. He's an important part of the team.

He came back to the team after the European Championships, he only had two weeks of training. That's why we made the decision that he didn't start [in the Premier League first round match against Southampton]. But he is valuable for us.’

Howe was also asked if Trippier had expressed a desire to leave the team, to which he replied:

‘No. But he didn't have to. He's training, he's showing himself well. I'm not sure where all this information is coming from, but he is preparing for the next game,’ Howe told a press conference ahead of the match against Bournemouth.