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- The unpleasant drink helped Kieran Trippier’s recovery against Serbia
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England players are being given pickle juice to help prevent cramps at Euro 2024.
Three Lions full-back Kieran Trippier was falsely accused of doping by fans on social media after he was seen consuming a secret “magic potion” during his team’s 1-0 win over Serbia on Sunday.
Trippier, who Gareth Southgate relies on at left-back as Luke Shaw continues to recover from injury, had fans fearing the worst during the closing stages of England’s Euro 2024 opener, falling to the ground with an apparent injury.
Fortunately for England and the Newcastle star, he was only suffering from a cramp and quickly stood up to stretch his right leg over the advertising billboard, before ingesting two peculiar envelopes handed to him by a Three Lions doctor.
Trippier remained on the pitch to watch the match and give England an important clean sheet, with Southgate’s side top of Group C heading into their second match against Denmark on Thursday.
Fans wonder what England full-back Kieran Trippier drank against Serbia on Sunday
Trippier was drinking pickle juice, which helps athletes prevent cramps. Above, tennis player Daniil Medvedev places a bottle of the drink on his table during the 2022 Australian Open.
Jude Bellingham and Trippier go to the doctor to pick up an envelope during the victory over Serbia
The manner in which Trippier quickly recovered led fans of the investigation to question the secret potion and its contents, with some going so far as to falsely accuse the full-back of “doping on live television”.
‘Hey, what’s going on here? Trippier gives himself a game of injection mods,” one fan posted on social media.
Another said: ‘When Trippier gets caught doping on live TV.’ “England should be disqualified.”
Despite the strange claims, Trippier was given a sachet of pickle juice and another containing a carbohydrate-rich drink known as a “fuel bomb.”
The Three Lions team has stocked up on pickle juice for the Euro 2024 campaign because the drink has properties to help fight cramps. It has been found to relieve cramps up to “40 percent faster than drinking water.”
But there is nothing particularly new about England’s secret weapon for Euro 2024.
Former Arsenal midfielder Lucas Torreira was presented with a bottle of the drink during the Gunners’ 2-0 victory over Chelsea in 2019.
Tennis players such as Carlos Alcaraz have been seen on court drinking this rather unpleasant-sounding drink, with the most notable occasion coming during the Spaniard’s five-set triumph over Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon last summer.
In 2019, American athlete Frances Tiafoe revealed that pickle juice had helped her reach the quarter-finals of the Australian Open.
Pickle juice, which is made up of vinegar, sodium, and potassium, triggers a reflex in your mouth that sends a signal to stop flexing your muscles.
Fans falsely claimed Trippier was ‘doping’ on social media after he recovered so quickly.
Former Arsenal star Lucas Torreira drinks pickle juice during his team’s victory over Chelsea in 2019
Frances Tiafoe said pickle juice helped her reach the quarter-finals of the Australian Open.
Trippier’s fitness is of utmost importance for England as he occupies the left-back position, with Luke Shaw (above) currently struggling to fully recover from his injury at Euro 2024.
The drink improves intestinal health with antioxidants, helps control blood sugar levels and is even good for fresh breath by killing the unpleasant bacteria that breed inside the mouth.
And if England win the Euro, they may continue drinking it even after the final.
Pickle juice has also been reported to help cure alcohol-induced hangovers, so Southgate’s players may find themselves reaching for a bottle the morning after what was sure to be a boozy celebratory party in Germany.