Kieran Trippier has hailed Arsenal forward Bukayo Saka as ‘unbelievable’, as he told his post-match press conference.
The 20-year-old helped England beat Andorra 4-0 in their World Cup qualifier on Sunday at Wembley.
Given that it was Saka’s birthday, the boyhood Arsenal fan marked it with a goal in the second half, not forgetting his assist in the opening 45 minutes.
It has been one tough, yet a worthwhile road for Saka this summer that has seen his stock rise even further.
Trippier shared that the Arsenal youngster is loved in the England camp and he is someone who always plays with a ‘smile’ on his face.
“Bukayo, I know he is a young lad, but mentally he is strong,” said Trippier. “We were all there for him.
“But now it’s about him moving forward and enjoying his football, as he showed tonight. He was unbelievable, on his birthday as well.
“The thing with Bukayo is that he is a very strong character. A very good person to have around the place. The boys love him.
“The most important thing is that every training session and every game, he plays with a smile on his face and he has certainly shown that tonight.”
From that very same end in which Saka missed that heartbreaking penalty against Italy at Euro 2020, he scored from yesterday upon his first return to the ground.
The racial abuse Saka received after that moment wasn’t a surprise, but one that he has stood tall from and stuck his chest out even further.
When Saka first returned to action this summer, he received a standing ovation at Tottenham in a pre-season friendly.
That moment overpowered any idiotic acts that were committed by faceless cowards over the summer.
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