‘Not Ronaldo, not Messi’ – Tottenham old boy brutally sold for £11m by Levy labelled the GOAT by Newcastle star
Kieran Trippier of Newcastle and Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy
Newcastle defender Kieran Trippier has surprisingly named a former Tottenham star as the GOAT and ahead of the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo – and believes the player, savagely sold by Daniel Levy for just £11m, was “absolutely frightening”.
The debate over crowning the Greatest Of All Time has raged long and hard over the past 15 years with Messi and Ronaldo dominating the conversation. And regardless of which side of the fence you fall on, few would argue that Argentina superstar and the former Manchester United man are among the greatest to ever play the game.
Both players are still going strong, albeit in weaker leagues. Ronaldo currently plys his trade for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro-League and will be hoping the level he now operates in will allow him ample opportunities to add to the 736 club goals he has scored from 992 career appearances.
Messi, meanwhile, is currently enjoying a new lease of life with Inter Miami and the World Cup winner is set to be joined in Florida by three more of his former Barcelona teammates in 2024 as David Beckham’s side gear up for a push for MLS glory.
Messi’s record currently stands at a staggering 726 goals from 899 club games.
However, speaking on the Sky Sports Premier League YouTube channel, Newcastle star Trippier has excluded both Messi and Ronaldo from the conversation on who should be labelled the GOAT.
And somewhat controversially, although perhaps somewhat said with tongue in cheek, Trippier has named former Tottenham teammate Mousa Dembele as the best he’s ever seen.
The Belgium international retired in summer 2022, bringing the curtain down on his career after a spell in China with Guangzhou R&F.
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Mousa Dembele is the GOAT, not Messi, or Ronaldo
The 36-year-old, though, is perhaps best known for his spell with Tottenham who he joined in a £15m deal from Fulham back in August 2012.
Dembele made 250 appearances for the Lilywhites over seven seasons in north London, before Levy sold the player for just £11m to the Chinese Super League in January 2019.
Explaining his choice when asked who is the GOAT, Trippier said: “I’m going to put down Dembele. Of course you could say Messi or Ronaldo, but this guy, when I played with him at Tottenham was the GOAT.
“Honestly, in training, in games, what he could do with a football was frightening. Everytime people say who’s the best player you’ve played with, he’s one of them for sure,” Trippier said.
This is huge praise indeed from Trippier and more so for a player who only managed 10 goals in his 250 games for Tottenham.
Dembele, though, was certainly pleasing on the eye, blessed with excellent ball control, dribbling skills and eye for a pass. Silky smooth, Dembele went on to win 82 caps for his country, also turning out for Dutch sides AZ and Willem II in his career as well as Beerschot AC in his homeland.
Surprisingly, it’s not the first time he’s been labelled in such high regards, with Trippier previously claiming Levy’s decision to sell Dembele cost Spurs the chance to win a trophy.
Little has been seen or heard from Dembele since his retirement, choosing to live a quiet life away from the limelight since his retirement.
