Kieran John Trippier ( KEER-awn TRIP-yər; born 19 September 1990) is an English professional footballer who plays as a right-back for EFL Championship club Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Trippier started his career in the youth system at Manchester City but failed to make the breakthrough to the first team, having two loans at Championship club Barnsley. In 2011, he signed for Championship club Burnley on a season-long loan which was made permanent in January 2012 for an undisclosed fee. He was named in the Championship PFA Team of the Year for two consecutive seasons in 2012–13 and 2013–14. In 2014, he secured promotion with Burnley to the Premier League as the team finished runners-up in the Championship. A year later, he signed for Tottenham Hotspur for a £3.5 million fee. After four years in North London, during which he became part of the squad that finished as runners-up in the 2019 Champions League final, Trippier joined Spanish side Atlético Madrid, where he helped the team win the 2020–21 La Liga title.
Trippier also represented England at all levels from under-18 to under-21, featuring in the 2009 UEFA European Under-19 Championship and 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup. He made his debut for the senior international team in June 2017 and played in the 2018 FIFA World Cup, where he scored directly from a free kick in the semi-final. He was also included in England's squads for UEFA Euro 2020, the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and UEFA Euro 2024.
Kieran John Trippier was born on 19 September 1990 in Bury, Greater Manchester, to Chris Trippier and Eleanor Lomax. His father is mixed race, and through him Trippier is of Jamaican descent. Trippier has three brothers, Chris, Curtis and Kelvin. He grew up in Summerseat in Ramsbottom, Greater Manchester, and attended Holcombe Brook Primary School until 2002, followed by Woodhey High School where he studied for five years and finished in 2007. He played in the school football team and helped them win the Bury Cup twice and Greater Manchester Trophy once. His family are Manchester United fans, and although he was scouted by United when he was eight, he chose to join Manchester City's academy as he knew a few friends there and it was local for him.
Trippier joined Manchester City's academy at the age of nine, where he progressed through the ranks at the club, signing his first professional contract in 2007. In the 2007–08 season he became a regular in the reserve team and was part of the team that won the FA Youth Cup. In August 2009, he featured in the prestige friendly against FC Barcelona at the Camp Nou. He joined the first team for the pre-season tour of the United States in 2010.
In February 2010, he joined Championship club Barnsley on a one-month loan. He went on to make three appearances during the loan spell, making his debut in a 2–1 defeat at Middlesbrough. His loan was cut short after he suffered an injury at Scunthorpe United which kept him out for ten days. In August 2010, he re-joined Barnsley for his second spell with the club on a six-month loan deal. He made his second debut for the club in the 1–0 home defeat to Rochdale in the League Cup. In January 2011, Trippier agreed a deal to stay at Barnsley for the remainder of the 2010–11 season. He scored his first senior goal for Barnsley in a 3–3 draw with Leeds United, with a curling free kick from 25 yards out at Elland Road in February 2011. His second goal came against local rivals Doncaster Rovers with another free kick, equalising late on for the hosts at Oakwell. He went on to make forty-one appearances in all competitions, winning the Young Player of the Year award.
In July 2011, Trippier joined Championship club Burnley on a season-long loan as a replacement for the departing Tyrone Mears. He made his debut for the Clarets in August 2011, a 2–2 home draw with Watford. His first goal for the club came in September 2011, with a superb long-range free kick against Milton Keynes Dons in a 2–1 win in the League Cup. His first league goal came in December 2011, a 1–0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion at the Falmer Stadium, with a powerful shot from the edge of the box. In December 2011, after impressing during his loan, Trippier was nominated for the Championship Player of the Month award. On 2 January 2012, he received his first professional red card for picking up two bookings in a 2–1 defeat to Leeds United. A day later, Burnley signed Trippier on a permanent deal for an undisclosed fee, signing a three-and-a-half-year contract. In January 2012 he scored his second goal for the club, scoring from range in a 2–0 win away to Middlesbrough. In March 2012, he scored the first in a 5–1 rout against Portsmouth at Fratton Park. He played in all 46 league games in his first season as the club finished in mid-table, going on to win the Burnley Player of the Year award.
Trippier again went on to impress in his second season with the club being a virtual ever-present as he was named in the Championship PFA Team of the Year for 2012–13. In August 2013, he scored a free kick in a 2–0 win over Preston North End in the League Cup. In January 2014, he sealed a 3–2 win over Huddersfield Town with a late goal. He was again named in the Championship PFA Team of the Year for consecutive seasons as Burnley finished runners-up and gained promotion to the Premier League. In May 2014, he signed a new improved three-year contract until 2017 after reported interest from Arsenal.
On 19 June 2015, Trippier signed for Premier League club Tottenham for a reported £3.5 million, after successfully passing a medical, becoming the club's second signing of the summer. Trippier was expected to compete with Kyle Walker at right-back under manager Mauricio Pochettino, and he did not make a start for Tottenham before Christmas as he was eased into the team. On 6 February 2016, he scored his first goal for Tottenham, netting a cross from Dele Alli, which turned out to be the winning goal in a 1–0 win over Watford. Trippier appeared in six games for Tottenham during the Premier League season, making five starts as Walker displayed his best form in recent years. However, Trippier played in every minute of Tottenham's Europa League campaign that reached the last 16.
Despite rumours of a move to Southampton, Trippier confirmed he was "really happy at the club" and that he was "not thinking of leaving". Trippier made his Champions League debut in a Group stage match at CSKA Moscow on 27 September 2016. He performed well in the right-back position as replacement for Kyle Walker who was injured during the 2016–17 season, and earned his first call-up for the England national squad.
On 30 June 2017, Trippier agreed a new five-year contract with Tottenham, committing to the club until 2022. As Walker had moved to Manchester City in the summer, Trippier became a regular in the starting line-up of the Spurs team early in the 2017–18 season, although he missed the opening game of the season due to an injury sustained in a pre-season friendly against Juventus that Spurs won 2–1. However, a new signing for Tottenham this season, Serge Aurier, in September meant that he and Aurier regularly rotated in the right-back position. He impressed with his performances in the season, in particular during the UEFA Champions League home match against Real Madrid on 1 November 2017, which Spurs won 3–1.
Trippier made his first start in the 2018–19 season in the game against Fulham, and scored his first goal of the season from a free kick. However, it was generally considered that he had a disappointing season, after suffering from a series of minor injuries, as well as having committed a number of defensive errors. In a match against rivals Chelsea, he scored an own goal, in an attempt to pass the ball to goalkeeper Hugo Lloris. His goal made the scoreline 2–0 to Chelsea, which was also the final result of the game. Trippier was part of the Tottenham squad that reached the 2019 UEFA Champions League final. He started for Tottenham in the final, as Spurs lost 2–0 to Liverpool. He left Tottenham at the end of the season, having made 114 appearances for the club in all competitions.