Kieran Trippier’s Liverpool red card joke as Newcastle United dealt ‘massive’ Carabao Cup blow

It is perhaps a little-known fact that Kieran Trippier and Loris Karius were once teammates prior to joining Newcastle United.

Trippier, a boyhood Manchester United fan, was on the books at Manchester City at the same time Karius left his homeland of Germany to pursue a career at the current Premier League champions.

“I’ve known Loz since Man City. I’ve known him since I was 15, 16,” the England right-back explained. "We were in the youth set-up together then we got moved up to Carrington for the reserves.

“He was a bit more advanced than I was at that time. He was more with the first team training every day with them.”

Neither player made a first-team appearance for Man City, with Trippier dropping into the Championship to aid Burnley’s successful Premier League promotion push. Karius, meanwhile, joined Bundesliga side Mainz 05.

Both had taken different paths to eventually play in England’s top-flight, and will have come up against each other during their Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool days. But despite reuniting on Tyneside last summer, it’s unlikely either predicted they’d be playing a cup final together.

That is nothing to do with ability by the way, even if people still try to define Karius’ career off a certain Champions League night in Kiev. It is because the prospect of Nick Pope missing Sunday’s Carabao Cup was unthinkable.

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Trippier had a close-up view of the Pope’s sending off against Liverpool. After the Magpies’ goalkeeper misjudged the flight of Alisson’s ball forward to Mohamed Salah, he panicked, handled the ball before frantically kicking it out of play - and caught Trippier in the process.

"That was more of a red card, wasn’t it?” Trippier joked. “It was all right. He just kicked me in my shin pad but I’m fine. No problem."

“It’s massive, of course,” the 32-year-old continued. “Popey has been one of our best players this season. He’s going to be a big miss but he’s the type of character who will be there for the boys.

“Even he has big experience in international football as well so he can help the players. Whoever is called upon in that position will be ready."

With Martin Dubravka cup-tied and Karl Darlow on loan at Hull City without a recall clause, Karius is expected to make his competitive debut for United at Wembley, with Mark Gillespie as back-up.

“This is football,” Trippier said. “We need everybody. Everybody has to be ready. It’s crazy how it’s all happened with Martin being cup-tied, Darlow going and Popey being suspended.

“It gives somebody else an opportunity now to step up and try and help the team win a trophy.”

“He (Karius) is a very good goalkeeper,” Trippier added. “He’s aggressive, he’s confident and he’s trained well since he’s been here. He has not played games, but he will be ready if called upon - make no mistake about that.

“Loz has had a good career. You don’t play that many games for Liverpool and play in cup finals if you’re not a good goalkeeper. He was at Besiktas as well. He’s here now so if he’s playing, we have just got to support him. That’s what teammates are there for.

“It was five years ago (the Champions League final). That’s gone now. He’s a Newcastle player so everybody has got to get behind him if he is selected to perform at a high level, which I know he is capable of.”

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