Manchester City captain Kyle Walker has drawn the ire of the club`s supporters after admitting he would trade one of his Premier League medals for the experience of winning the Europa League with his former team, Tottenham.
Reports emerged in January, amidst a challenging period for City, that the club captain had sought a move away, reportedly surprising manager Pep Guardiola.
He reportedly joined AC Milan on loan, but the Italian club opted not to make the move permanent.
Manager Pep Guardiola subsequently excluded the 35-year-old right-back from the Club World Cup squad, suggesting he is free to seek a new club.
City fans were particularly angered when Walker revealed on his BBC podcast that he would have cherished being with his former club Spurs as they ended their 17-year trophy drought.
Walker has won six Premier League titles at City and was a key part of their Treble-winning side in the 2022-23 season.
He said: “I’d probably give up one Premier League title, not the first, to have won that Europa League with Tottenham because I know what it means. Probably my second — although that was the ‘Four-midables’ [when they won all four domestic trophies]. It’s hard to give one away but for what that moment meant, to say I was in that Spurs squad that won a trophy.”
City fans expressed their displeasure online. One fan commented, “Just ban this guy from the Etihad and get it over and done with. He`s already freely hating us, why protect whatever is left of his relationship with the club.”
Another supporter added, “Mental. I could never ever imagine John Stones, Nathan Ake, Samir Nasri, Carlos Tevez ever coming out and saying they would give up even a Community Shield to win a trophy at a former club.”
A third wrote simply: “Bro is the worst captain of the club get out.”
Tottenham supporters, however, expressed delight at hearing his sentiments towards their club. One commented, “Great to hear you say `we` when referring to Spurs.”
A second Spurs fan said, “As a Spurs fan, it was really heartwarming to hear Kyle’s words and his feelings connected to the Europa League final. I was gutted when he left for Man City, but I’ve always been happy seeing him win trophy after trophy.”
Walker, who played for Tottenham for eight years, admitted he was extremely nervous watching his former club defeat Manchester United 1-0 in the recent final.
He added, “It was the first time in a long time I’ve been nervous — and I wasn’t even playing. I was there with my iPad and I couldn’t sit and watch it. I was walking up and down my room.”
He reflected on Spurs reaching finals but losing to stronger teams, concluding, “They’ve always been a club that nearly got over the line but not quite. I’m buzzing for them.”
Walker joined Manchester City from Spurs in July 2017 and currently has one year remaining on his contract.
Turkish club Fenerbahce are reportedly among the latest teams showing interest in acquiring him.
