Kieran Trippier concedes he’s ‘really happy’ to see Marcus Rashford back in form as he named the Manchester United star as one of four key threats his team will face on Sunday.
Trippier’s Newcastle will face the Red Devils at Wembley looking to win a first major trophy since 1955.
- Chelsea hold emergency meeting with Graham Potter
- Vinicius Jr brutally trolls Liverpool fans with Cristiano Ronaldo gesture at Anfield
- Benni McCarthy tells Man Utd fans his secret behind Rashford’s superb form
While nowhere near as long, United are also looking to end their own trophy drought as well, having not won any silverware since the Europa League triumph in 2017.
Trippier has been all too aware of Rashford’s quality for years but the England international’s form since the turn of the year has been superb.
16 goals in 17 matches has him as the top scorer in Europe’s top five leagues for this year so far and arguably the most in form attacker on the continent – but he’s not the only danger United will present on Sunday.
“I know Marcus very well,” Trippier told ChronicleLive. “I’m really happy for him because I’ve always known how unbelievable he is and he’s certainly hit some form. But it’s not about one individual – you’ve got Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro, Luke Shaw, who’s been unbelievable this season as well.
“We can’t be too focused on them. Obviously, we need to review them, of course, but we need to focus on how we can hurt them. We want to go into that final to win. That’s our only priority.”
Having spent three years under Diego Simeone at Atletico Madrid, the 32-year-old will have mastered the darker side of football that saw him win La Liga in 2021 and compete in a couple of finals both domestically and in Europe.
“I learned a lot from the manager at Atletico,” the Newcastle stat added. “There are moments in games, in finals, where you have to be clever and know when to slow the game down if the opposition is on top – even if the fans might not like it. I wouldn’t say it’s cheating – it’s about trying to win a football match.
“We will be ready. I might throw some new tricks out there. I’m only joking – I don’t want to get booked!”
