Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford has named Manchester City defender Kyle Walker as the toughest opponent he has come up against in the Premier League.
In an interview for Sky Sports‘ The Overlap, Rashford praised his England international teammate for his “unbelievable” physical attributes:
“I would probably say Kyle Walker [is the toughest]. His physical capabilities are just unbelievable so it’s always a tough day. You have to try and catch him off-guard or in the wrong position, but even then he can recover. I just try and drift into places where he can’t drift and he has to pass me on.”
Walker’s pace has been praised by many opponents over the years, but his all-round defending doesn’t always get the credit it deserves from fans and pundits. With Rashford choosing him over the likes of Chelsea’s Reece James, Newcastle’s Kieran Trippier, Arsenal’s Ben White and Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold, it seems clear who the best English right-back is.
Manager Pep Guardiola is also in no doubt about the 32-year-old’s abilities, recently saying he is “irreplaceable”. Considering the rumours surrounding his future, though, the club may have to try and replace him nonetheless.
Walker could be on his way to Germany
With one year left on his contract at City, the fullback has been contemplating his future, and it is believed that he has now verbally agreed to join Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich.
Guardiola says the treble winners will fight to keep Walker but, if the player has made up his mind, they are fighting a losing battle. It’s looking very likely that the defender will be playing in Germany next season if a transfer fee can be agreed.
City will certainly miss him
Walker has made over 250 appearances for the Citizens since arriving from Tottenham for £50m in the summer of 2017.
During his six-year stint at the Etihad Stadium, Walker has won five Premier League titles, four League Cups, two FA Cups and one Champions League so finding someone to fill his shoes will not be easy.
