Kyle Walker Believes Man City Manager Pep Guardiola has Made Him a 'More Intelligent Player'
Sky's Soccer AM presenter Tubes sat down to speak with England and Manchester City right-back Kyle Walker, discussing his debut season at City, Pep Guardiola, World Cup ambitions and more.
Walker has played a huge part in Manchester City's emphatic Premier League title success this season and with Pep's team looking to break a number of records before the season's end, the 27-year-old will be heading to Russia on a high after a spectacular debut season at the Etihad
Here, the 27-year-old spoke on Sky about City's celebrations, how Guardiola has influenced his game and has talked up England's chances ahead of this Summer's World Cup.
On Manchester City Moving Forward:
"It has been a fantastic season, to do the double in my first season, and hopefully there is a lot more to come. I think there has to be, with the team we have, the manager we've got, the foundations that the people behind the scenes and the owners put into the team. We have to go on and keep winning titles."
On Manchester United Handing the Title to City:
"God's honest truth, I was in the playroom at home with my little boy, doing the Panini World Cup stickers. It was on, and I said: 'Come on, let's go to the shop, I can't watch it.'
"I was too nervous, so we went to the shop, got some stickers, a few sweets and an ice cream for him, and sat down, watched a movie, and I was just helping him do the stickers. My missus came in and said: 'You've won!'"
On City's Celebrations:
"We had a couple of scoops, and that's it, went back home! Me, John [Stones], Delphy, Bernardo Silva - what a legend he is - Vinny [Kompany], and a lot of the physios and medical staff were there too. Vinny is a Manc.
"Some of the things he comes out with… he won't like me saying this but I think he's more English than Belgian! Deep down he loves the club, you can see it in his speech, and it was a nice touch from him."
On Guardiola's Influence:
"I think he's made me a more intelligent player. I think he's taught me how to read the game, when to go forward, when to come inside, and made me think about the game a little bit more, whereas at Tottenham I was basically a winger, my job was to control the right flank and get up and down. I'm not saying you don't need brains to play there but it was a simpler job than what I'm doing here at City."
On the Funniest at the Club:
"For me, the big surprise is Yaya, I find him hilarious. He and Mendy are like Barry and Paul the Chuckle Brothers. It's entertaining in the mornings, they're just messing around."
On England at the World Cup:
"We're in it to win it. We want to go there and win it, of course. Do I think we can? Of course, because I need to believe in it. But in past knockout games we haven't been terrific, so just on previous, I have to say it's going to be tough, but we know that because it's a World Cup stage.
"We need to perform, need to go and make the country proud, and I keep saying it but we need everyone behind us, to give us that motivation to go there."