Former Newcastle United defender Kieran Trippier has said it is not for him to decide if Eddie Howe should receive a statue at St James' Park. But he does believe his achievements on Tyneside deserve huge recognition, admitting he was 'gutted' to see him leave his role as Newcastle head coach last month.
Howe's transformation at Newcastle
Trippier spent four-and-a-half years at Newcastle and was Howe's first signing that began an incredible transformation at the club. United went from relegation candidates to Champions League qualifiers inside 18 months and Trippier was Howe's enforcer on the field.
Together, they also helped Newcastle end their 56-year major trophy drought by lifting the Carabao Cup last year in their 2-1 victory over Liverpool at Wembley Stadium.
Trippier's departure and Howe's exit
But after conversations with Howe and sporting director Ross Wilson, Trippier opted to leave Newcastle at the end of his contract earlier this summer, joining Wolves on a free transfer.
And while the 35-year-old is gearing up for a fresh challenge trying to steer Wolves back to the Premier League at the first time of asking, Howe is taking a break from the game after his bombshell announcement two weeks ago that he will be leaving Newcastle. Matthias Jaissle has replaced Howe in the St James' Park hot-seat but Trippier admitted he was 'gutted' to see Howe leave his role at St James' Park.
Trippier on Howe's legacy
"He helped the club stay in the Premier League, twice qualified for the Champions League, won a trophy, but the most important thing he did was reconnecting the supporters with the team," Trippier told the Guardian.
"I was told before the [Saudi Arabia-led] takeover that it was not a good place to be – the fans were against the owners, the board etc – but when the new owners came in, and the manager, he [Howe] connected everyone, just like Gareth Southgate did with England."
Asked if Howe's legacy is deserving of a statue, Trippier replied with a smile: "He's won a trophy, hasn't he? But that's not for me to decide."
"The parade was incredible, the big banner of the manager showed the love the supporters had for him and still have now. When I first went there, it was a tough place [to play], especially after getting beat by Cambridge [in the FA Cup third round].
"But maybe that was a blessing, really, so we could just focus on [staying in] the Premier League … he will go down in history there, for sure. I'm gutted to see him go."
Trippier will look to make his first Championship appearance for Wolves when they welcome Blackburn Rovers to Molineux on Friday evening.
