Kieran Tripper has penned an open letter to Tottenham fans, in it thanking them for the ongoing support they have shown him during his four-year stint in north London.
The 28-year-old joined La Liga giants Atletico Madrid for £21 million on Wednesday, making him the first Englishman to represent the Madrid-based outfit for 95 years; he leaves Tottenham having made over 100 appearances for the club following his move from Burnley in 2015.
Despite enjoying a memorable campaign in 2017-18 and being one of the standout performers in Gareth Southgate's England squad at last summer's World Cup - where he scored a stunning free-kick against Croatia in the semi-finals of the competition - Trippier's form for Tottenham was inconsistent last season.
He still had two-and-a-half years left to run on his contract at Spurs, though with rising star Kyle Walker-Peters now looking as though he is ready to make the step-up to the first-team fold next term, Trippier's position at the club was starting to look increasingly more uncertain.
Taking to Instagram to show his gratitude to the fans who made his time in north London so memorable, Trippier wrote:
"THANK YOU I’ve met some amazing people at [Tottenham] many of whom I now call my friends.
"To the Tottenham fans from around the world – you’ve been amazing. The support you’ve shown me and the team took us to new heights, and with the new stadium I have no doubt that the team and fans have many exciting times ahead!
"Wish everyone at the club nothing but the best."
It will be extremely interesting to see how Trippier adapts to life in the Spanish capital. Not many Englishmen make the switch to La Liga, with the last permanent signing being Jermaine Pennant - who spent a season playing for Real Zaragoza in 2009-10.
Trippier will be the first English defender to appear in the Spanish top-flight since Jonathan Woodgate's left-field switch to Real Madrid in 2004, though with Atletico's style of play considered - where they rely heavily on the attacking prowess of their full-backs - we could well see the England international flourish under manager Diego Simeone in a dynamic system tailor-made for the 28-year-old's game.
