Newcastle United right-back Tino Livramento is having a pretty amazing start to the new season.
Not only has the £32 million signing from Southampton taken over the right-back role from Kieran Trippier at club level, he's now in the frame to replace the veteran at international level too after interim England boss Lee Carsley handed him his first senior call-up.
Livramento and Carsley know each other from the England Under 21s, in fact Carsley kept in touch with Tino during his year-long absence from the game as he recovered from an ACL injury.
Despite their relationship, Tino had no idea he was set for a senior call-up until it happened as he told BBC 5 Live (via The Northern Echo).
The 21-year-old featured often for Newcastle last season, racking up 35 appearances, most of which were as a substitute, but when he played he more often than not impressed, which clearly hadn't gone unnoticed by Lee Carsley.
“Obviously with Lee getting called up to be the seniors’ manager, I’ve seen it as a good opportunity for me because obviously, I knew him.
“But I think it’s down to you as a player with how you play every weekend for your club. I think that’s the main thing. I feel like I’ve started this season alright, so this is a good opportunity for me.”
Meanwhile, Tino has heaped praise on the man he is succeeding for club and country, Kieran Trippier saying he helped him settle at the club and that he still tries to emulate him.
“He’s been an immense help for me – not just football-wise, but like helping me settle. It’s tough when you move from probably one of the clubs that’s furthest south to one that’s furthest north, so he just helped me get settled straight away.
"Then obviously on the pitch, it’s just a different level. (He's) someone that I look up to and someone that I watch every day when they’re training, trying to take parts of their game into mine.”
Tino will be hoping to make his England debut on Saturday night as they take on Ireland in the first game of the Nations League.
PL | GD | PTS | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
Liverpool
|
14 | 18 | 35 |
2 |
Chelsea
|
15 | 17 | 31 |
3 |
Arsenal
|
15 | 14 | 29 |
4 |
Manchester City
|
15 | 6 | 27 |
5 |
Nottingham Forest
|
15 | 1 | 25 |
6 |
Aston Villa
|
15 | 0 | 25 |
7 |
Brighton
|
15 | 3 | 24 |
8 |
Bournemouth
|
15 | 3 | 24 |
9 |
Brentford
|
15 | 3 | 23 |
10 |
Fulham
|
15 | 2 | 23 |
11 |
Tottenham Hotspur
|
15 | 12 | 20 |
12 |
Newcastle United
|
15 | -2 | 20 |
13 |
Manchester United
|
15 | 1 | 19 |
14 |
West Ham United
|
15 | -8 | 18 |
15 |
Everton
|
14 | -7 | 14 |
16 |
Leicester
|
15 | -9 | 14 |
17 |
Crystal Palace
|
15 | -6 | 13 |
18 |
Ipswich
|
15 | -13 | 9 |
19 |
Wolves
|
15 | -15 | 9 |
20 |
Southampton
|
15 | -20 | 5 |