Eddie Howe of Newcastle United values versatility, as does England manager Gareth Southgate.
There are so many players at Newcastle United who can play many roles, which has been a huge help during a season marred by injuries.
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Dan Burn is currently playing at centre-back despite having spent the majority of the season on the left side of defence, and Tino Livramento has excelled on both flanks.
Anthony Gordon is possibly Newcastle’s best example of versatility, as he plays on both the left and right wings as well as in the middle. That adaptability, paired with his resilience, has contributed significantly to his status as one of the Magpies’ top players this season.
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Newcastle United have a few England regulars
His efforts in black and white earned him his England debut, at a time when he was the sole Newcastle player on the Three Lions squad.
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That is despite Newcastle United having a stronger presence in Gareth Southgate’s side recently. England regulars include Kieran Trippier, Nick Pope, and Callum Wilson.
Southgate has spoken kindly of the former as the 33-year-old continues to heal. Trippier is currently out with a groyne injury, but is expected to return for Newcastle’s game against Brighton.
Gareth Southgate speaks out on why he loves Kieran Trippier
Trippier will then have three games to show his health in order to make Southgate’s England side for the Euros.
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And, given how highly Southgate praised Trippier in an interview with NUFC TV, it appears that fitness is the only thing standing in the way of the ÂŁ12 million player flying to Germany.
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“He [Trippier] is an important part of our squad,” Southgate said.
“He is a very experienced player at international level. You know as well as we do the leadership qualities that he has, the impact that he has on the team and on the squad.
“He fulfils a very similar role for us and, of course, that adaptability that he can play on the right or the left is important to us as well.”
Newcastle rarely rely on Trippier’s versatility
Southgate loves Trippier for the same reasons Eddie Howe does. He is a tremendously prominent component of the squad, having made a seismic impact since joining from Atletico Madrid in January 2022. He helped change the culture and is a major reason Newcastle United is where they are now.
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Trippier’s flexibility hasn’t been used as often at St James’ Park as it has on the international stage. While he frequently plays as a left-back for England, he rarely does so in black and white.
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It happened a couple of times earlier this season when Livramento was introduced into the team, but it was determined that the youngster was better suited to playing on the left.
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However, at the international level, Trippier has played a lot of minutes at left-back. He is solid there and will most likely play in that position if he is chosen to travel to the Euros.
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