After England lost to France in the quarter-finals of the World Cup a video clip of Kyle Walker went viral on social media. The 32-year-old was outpaced by Kylian Mbappe down England’s right flank despite having the reputation as one of the fastest defenders in football.
Excuses can be made for Walker being beaten in a foot race as he wasn’t anywhere near match fit, having recently recovered from a groin injury and subsequent surgery, but the 32-year-old didn’t have a great tournament in Qatar.
Walker made three appearances at the World Cup, sitting out of England’s first two group games, but the stats show he wasn’t at his best.
In the England squad, no player was dribbled past more (0.7 per game on average) than Walker and only one defender (1.2) gave away more fouls (1), so him replacing Kieran Trippier may not have been a net benefit.
Walker can turn his attention to domestic matters when he returns to Manchester City and he’ll no doubt hope to return to the starting eleven now that he’s fit again.
The 32-year-old has made eight appearances for the Sky Blues this season, last featuring in early-October.
In other news, stats show John Stones impressed for England at the World Cup
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