Kieran Trippier demonstrated real leadership skills after he travelled down with the Newcastle United squad to support the Magpies in their 2-0 win at Brentford on Saturday.
That's according to Trevor Sinclair, who believes that Trippier did a 'fantastic thing' by going to the game. The 31-year-old is currently out injured and will miss a substantial portion of the rest of the season through injury.
Newcastle shared images of Trippier inside the changing room after the match and coming off the bus with the rest of the players ahead of the clash with the Bees. There was some criticism directed at him when he decided to leave Atletico Madrid for the struggling Magpies back in January.
However, it seems as though Trippier has completely changed many opinions by his actions after he scored in back-to-back matches against Everton and Aston Villa. He has also put in some excellent performances, before picking up the injury in the second-half of the win over Steven Gerrard's side.
Former Manchester City winger Sinclair has praised Trippier for how he has seemingly helped the Magpies off the pitch and has claimed that it's important he keeps doing that. Newcastle are currently five points clear of the relegation zone and will need that 'togetherness' between now and the end of the season.
He told talkSPORT: "When you're injured and have a long-term injury which Kieran Trippier has got, you don't need to go [to the matches]. It's not something that he has got to do as a member of the squad.
"You don't have to go to away games, especially as it's 200 to 250 miles away. But that, for me, just shows the personality of Trippier and why signing him wasn't just for him going there for a bit of money and glory.
"He was going there to try and achieve something and coming back for other reasons as well. I was pleased to see him there and it's really important. When you've got a squad where you're one of the most experienced players and you can see that they are desperate for points to stay in the Premier League.
"It's important that you've got that togetherness and you show the lads that you're there. He probably was in the changing room giving them a little bit of a gee-up. I think it was a fantastic thing for him to do and it shows that he respects his team-mates and wants them to do well. He appreciates the opportunity and the platform that Newcastle have given him."
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