Walker reveals why he has had to adapt his position this season

Walker reveals why he has had to adapt his position this season

Manchester City full-back Kyle Walker has explained the different role he is now playing in at the club due to the return of Benjamin Mendy.

Walker was one of City’s star players last season during their record breaking Premier League campaign, and transferred that good form into the World Cup with England – where despite playing centre back he was still one of Southgate’s best players.

The £50m acquisition from Spurs last summer has certainly proven his worth during his time at City, but the defender has had to adapt to a different style of play this season under Guardiola – with the return of left-back Benjamin Mendy.


Last season, we saw Walker bomb up and down the wings on a regular basis, but so far this season we have seen a more conserved approach from him.

And the defender has explained exactly why that is…

He told MEN Sport: “My role is a little bit different, where I am tucking in a little bit more and trying to control people.

“I still have the licence to go forward, but now I’m getting older it’s probably more about picking and choosing my runs, rather than up and down the wings as I was at Tottenham!”

Mendy’s return to City after being injured all of last season is a huge boost, and five assists in his first three games show exactly why. But his attacking nature leaves City exposed at the back, and it makes sense for Walker to remain slightly defensive minded in order to compensate.

Walker also admitted that he is yet to find his best form this season, after lacking a bit of match fitness off the back of England’s World Cup heroics in the summer.

“I’m still getting back to fitness,” he said. “The two weeks off is a decent break – you don’t normally get that as a professional footballer, so that was fantastic.

“I’m still dusting off the cobwebs. Playing for England in a centre back role is completely different to playing in a right back role – your energy is a lot more use in a right back role, getting up and down.

“So I’m still getting the engine warm and hopefully will be good in the next couple of weeks.”