Kieran Trippier's World Cup displays no surprise to former Burnley teammate Michael Duff

The former Burnley ace has excelled in the Three Lions' run to the World Cup quarter-final and he tucked away a nerveless penalty in the shootout win over Columbia on Tuesday night.

Duff played alongside Trippier at Turf Moor and saw the 27-year-old develop at the club, especially under the guidance of Sean Dyche, and he's been impressed with his World Cup performances.

"I think he's been excellent, he's been in the top two or three England players so far," he said.

"It's brilliant to see. We all knew about his ability but he's gone to another level now, people nationwide are starting to appreciate what a good player he is.

"Tripps loves everyone, he's got warmth for everybody. That's why people love him.

"He's got every club in the bag. He can deliver early, he can play a channel ball, he keeps the ball, he turns out when he has to and his delivery from set plays has been good."

Trippier made 185 appearances as a right-back for Burnley, many of them with Duff at centre back alongside him, before making the move to Tottenham in the summer of 2015.

Although he was signed by Eddie Howe it was under Dyche that the former Manchester City man began to take significant strides forward.

"He learnt how to defend at our place, he learnt what it took to be part of a back four," said Duff, now in charge of the club's Under-23 side.

"He's always had the technical ability, but there's different aspects of the game you need to learn.

"He can look after himself in the air, he can defend the back post and I thought his one-v-one defending was good against Columbia as well, and I think that's the bit he learnt under the gaffer.

"He taught him how to be a real full-back, Tripps learnt both sides of the game, with that added on to his ability and mentality it's all coming together."

Trippier has been a key creative cog in Gareth Southgate's England team with his set-piece delivery, but he showed his ability from 12 yards with a stunning penalty in the shootout in the round of 16 tie.

"Everyone I've spoken to who knows Tripps were more nervous than him, he believes in himself," said Duff.

"That's a good penalty at the training ground after five-a-side, never mind when he's got the nations hopes riding on it, especially after their fella has just missed.

"To have the mental application and the technique to be able to do it under that sort of pressure is top drawer."

Trippier had to be patient when he moved to Tottenham, initially finding himself behind Kyle Walker before his move to Manchester City.

Now Southgate has found a way to get both in the team, by moving Walker to the right side of a three-man defence.

"He's been a bit of a slow burner at Tottenham," said Duff.

"Going when he did, going to London, a lot of young players go to London and get lost, and he could have done that because he didn't walk straight into the Tottenham team, but he got his head down, he worked hard.

"The biggest compliment you can pay Tripps is that they found a way to get him and Kyle Walker in the team. Most pundits in the street would have said Walker is the right-wing-back, but Gareth Southgate wants Tripps in the team and he's found a way of getting both in."

While Trippier has made it onto the pitch, Nick Pope hasn't, although Duff believes he will be benefitting from the experience.

"You can't buy that sort of experience, he's probably not going to play but if you'd said 12 months ago he's going to be at the World Cup I think most people would have laughed at you, including him," he said.

"I'm sure he's loving every single minute of it, you can't even imagine what it's like to come back into the dressing room on those sorts of nights, breaking that hoodoo in the shootout, it's incredible really."