Danny Murphy has responded to the claim that Newcastle United star Kieran Trippier is a better right-back than Gary Neville was.
Murphy was speaking on The Take On after it was put to him that it has been suggested by one content creator that Trippier had the edge over the Manchester United hero.
Kieran Trippier has been a game-changing signing for Newcastle. His arrival proved to be so important as Eddie Howe’s men looked to get themselves out of trouble in the Premier League.
Danny Murphy dismisses idea Kieran Trippier is better than Gary Neville was
Of course, with the takeover already going through, Newcastle were always going to move themselves up the table. But had they not signed Trippier, that season may well have ended in relegation. Not only would they have not had his quality, but some of their other signings may have also not joined.
He, like Newcastle, has gone from strength to strength since. Trippier has arguably been the best right-back in the Premier League this season. And with that, a claim was made that he may be better than Gary Neville.
Neville, of course, had an unbelievable career. And Danny Murphy, who came up against Neville on numerous occasions, insisted that there is no debate to be had.
“Kieran Trippier’s a very talented player, a good player. But he’s not Gary Neville,” he told The Take On.
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“Just the elite mindset, the mentality, consistency. Now you could argue that Trippier technically is a better footballer. Because technically, he’s brilliant. You don’t see Gary Neville pinging free-kicks or cross-field balls.
“But as a right-back, defender, relationship with Beckham, covering Rio, covering whoever his centre-half was, longevity, staying at the top, England right-back, winning Champions Leagues and all that, no, it’s not an argument.”
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It is difficult to make a comparison because the demands on a full-back have changed drastically in the 12 years since Neville was playing.
Full-backs now need to be able to make an impact in the final third. And that is reflected in the fact that Trippier already has very similar numbers to Neville.
The 33-year-old has scored five goals and contributed 31 assists in 164 Premier League games. Neville meanwhile, also has five goals. And he has 35 assists. But he played 398 games in the competition.
Trippier will surely surpass Neville’s tally of goal contributions in nothing like the same number of games. However, Neville won 12 Premier League titles, two Champions Leagues and four FA Cups.
So you can see why Murphy is not really entertaining the idea of there being a debate.