Kieran Trippier tackles behind-the-scenes issues that forced the release of Tottenham

Kieran Trippier cited "behind the scenes" issues that influenced his decision to trade Tottenham Hotspur against Atletico Madrid earlier this month.

The defender has signed a three-year contract with Atletico for around £ 22 million, adding his name to the list of players who traded the Premier League against La Liga.

Trippier was part of the England team that had reached the semifinals of the World Cup last summer, scoring his famous free kick against Croatia in five minutes but had been criticized for his performances at Spurs last season.

After settling in the Spanish capital, the 28-year-old man alluded to factors that led him to leave the Spurs after four years spent in North London.

He told Sky Sports: "I think it was time for me to change and go forward.I do not necessarily want to say that I had to go from the front but things happened behind the scenes in Tottenham, which I do not really want to go into, but I had to go from there. "

Trippier was part of the Atletico team who beat Real Madrid 7-3 against Real Madrid in their pre-season friendly last night, during which Diego Costa stole the show with a hat trick and a red card.

The Spanish international joined Atletico from Chelsea in early 2018, while his compatriot and alternate to the Blues, Alvaro Morata, badured a permanent transfer to Madrid earlier this summer.

The new boy, Trippier, congratulated the couple for helping him settle into his new club and admitted that the transition had been sweeter than he imagined.

He said, "It was a lot easier than expected. The guys have been amazing with me. Since I walked in the door, they welcomed me with open arms, as well as the coach.

"Especially those two, they've been brilliant with me, Morata and Costa, they've explained what it means to play for Atletico and what it means for fans."

Diego Simeone players begin their campaign for Liga 2019/20 when Getafe will visit Wanda Metropolitano on Sunday, August 18th, with a send-off at 8:00 pm.