Newcastle and England full-back Kieran Trippier announced his retirement from international football today just over a month after he helped England to their second consecutive Euro final. The defender achieved 54 caps in his England career, all under Gareth Southgate, and was deployed on both the right and the left hand side of the defence. He had a number of standout moments in his time with the Three Lions and here are the top five.

Debut - vs France (2017)

In 2017, Trippier was called up for the first time for England’s 2018 World Cup qualifiers against Scotland and France. He didn’t feature against the Scots but did make his debut against France.

He started the game at right wing back, in a team that included Phil Jones, Tom Heaton and Ryan Bertrand. His debut wasn’t particularly special, but it wasn’t bad either. He was substituted for Adam Lallana in the 76th minute with the game at 2-2. France went on to win, scoring the winner just a few minutes later.

Only England goal - vs Croatia (2018)

Trippier’s only England goal came in the biggest game that England had played in since the 1966 World Cup Final. The Three Lions faced Croatia in the World Cup Semi-Final in 2018 and early in the first half, they had a freekick in a dangerous position.

The limbs after THAT Kieran Trippier free-kick against Croatia 🤩

A World Cup memory every England fan will cherish ❤️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿pic.twitter.com/5yWiVlS5NQ

— SPORTbible (@sportbible) August 29, 2024

Trippier stepped up to take it and scored a wonderful goal, giving England the lead. The game went to extra time after Croatia equalised and Trippier was forced off through injury, however Southgate had already used all of his substitutes, and so England were forced to play the final 10 minutes with 10 men. Trippier was praised as one of England’s best performers in the World Cup due to the quality of his crosses and set pieces and earned himself a certain spot in future England squads.

Captaining the Three Lions - vs Wales (2020)

Trippier captained the Three Lions on three occasions in his career, the first one coming in a 2020 friendly against Wales at Wembley. Harry Kane was being rested by Southgate for the Nations League, so that allowed Trippier to take the opportunity of leading his national team out. He probably would have liked it to be in front of a full Wembley crowd, but because of COVID, that was not possible.

England won the game 3-0 and Trippier even marked the occasion with an assist for Connor Coady’s header. Four players made their debuts in that match; Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Reece James, Bukayo Saka and Harvey Barnes all put on an England shirt for the first time. This probably made Trippier’s job as captain harder, as he was playing with unfamiliar players, but he still took on the role excellently.

Assisting Luke Shaw - vs Italy (2021)

In the rescheduled 2020 European Championships, Trippier was used in parts rather than being a certified starter. He earned starts in the opening game and in the Round of 16 fixture, but started on the bench for the other two group games, the Quarter Final and the Semi Final.

🚨🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 𝐎𝐅𝐅𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐋 | Kieran Trippier (33) has retired from international football! 👋

Senior England career: 2017-2024. pic.twitter.com/v7EiJKmYTk

— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) August 29, 2024

He did however earn a start against Italy in the final, and made a major impact. England took the lead very early on in that game, thanks to a Luke Shaw effort, but the goal was made down the opposite flank, and was assisted by Trippier. The Three Lions went on to lose the game on penalties, as we are all aware, but Trippier played an important role in the tournament as a whole and provided top quality performances throughout.

2024 Euros - (2024)

This summer, Trippier helped the Three Lions to their second consecutive Euro final, but this time he started most games in an unfamiliar left back position. Before the tournament, he had played in that position before on a few occasions, but being right footed made it difficult for him there.

England started the tournament poorly, but built up confidence as the team progressed, booking a place in the final with a late winner from Ollie Watkins. Trippier didn’t start the final, as Luke Shaw made his return from injury, but he put in a number of solid performances throughout the tournament, even though he was out of position.

Trippier will be disappointed that his last England tournament ended in heartbreak, but there are plenty of positives that he can take away from his international career. Captaining the side has to be his greatest achievements as there are so few people who can claim that honour. Trippier was a great professional for England and his time with the Three Lions was full of outstanding moments.