Trippier talks about what it's like being one of the elder statesmen for England

Nobody could accuse 33-year-old Kieran Trippier of sleeping on the job.

He has missed only one game for Newcastle this season and been one of England’s key performers with another cap to come in North Macedonia tomorrow.

‘I feel better now than I did in my late 20s,’ he says, crediting his impressive stamina to early bedtimes and power naps.

The defender — only the third Englishman, after Sir Bobby Charlton and Gary Lineker, to score in a World Cup semi-final — says: ‘I had a good chat in the off-season to a guy in America who was an expert on sleeping patterns.

‘It’s about having little naps in the day and making sure you don’t stagger into bed at midnight or one in the morning. You have to be reasonable and respectful so your body can recover and sleep is the key for me.

‘I’m probably knocked out by a quarter past 10 at night, to be honest. One power nap during the day. It’s been really beneficial.’

He is also quick to praise his wife, Charlotte, and their three children for their understanding.

‘I’m very lucky. They’re good and sometimes I can go to the spare room. The missus can bath the kids and put them to bed and I can go for a sleep — easy life!’

Trippier, who made headlines last weekend following an altercation with a Newcastle fan as they were beaten 2-0 at Bournemouth, has been important to the Gareth Southgate revolution because of his versatility as well as quality. He can move seamlessly between right and left-back, vital with Luke Shaw and Ben Chilwell currently injured.

As a veteran of England’s last three tournaments since 2018, he should be a voice of experience at the 2024 European Championship to guide the younger generation headed by Jude Bellingham.

It was Southgate who first asked him to play on the left