Rio Ferdinand has said that Chelsea wideman Raheem Sterling gave Kyle Walker the runaround before the international break.
On FIVE’s official YouTube channel, the popular pundit claimed that for once, Walker had a game to forget against a winger.
As Manchester City drew 4-4 to Chelsea, Raheem Sterling was widely lauded for how he terrorised the £50 million (Guardian) man.
Rio Ferdinand says Kyle Walker was “all over the place” against Raheem Sterling
Kyle Walker is often praised for how consistently he has managed to shut down some of the best wingers in the world in recent years.
So much so that there has been a lot of discourse around the Englishman having a case for being the Premier League’s greatest-ever right-back.
But Rio Ferdinand felt that Chelsea winger Raheem Sterling gave Kyle Walker hell the last time both faced each other.
“I didn’t talk about this other day, against City, listen, I’ve seen Kyle Walker have it with [Kylian] Mbappe, have it with, who else, Vinicius Jr., probably the top two wide players in world football”, he told FIVE.
Ferdinand continued, “He’s had both of them up, right to a certain extent. When they come off and I know they’re like, ‘I respect this guy.’ Sterling was popping it through his legs, I see [a] man all over the place, slipping, like [he had] ice skates [on]. And Kyle Walker is the best right-back in Premier League history.”
“There ain’t many times when I know that he’s coming off that pitch and gone, ‘I got worked today.’ And I think in that game, Sterling did it.”
It happens to the best of us
Rio Ferdinand is fair in giving Raheem Sterling the credit he deserves for giving Kyle Walker a tough time recently.
But then again, the five-time Premier League winner is only human and as a result, he is allowed to have the odd off day.
To add to that, Sterling is still one of the best wide forwards in the Premier League and this season, he has looked like he is rediscovering the best version of himself once again.
As a result, Kyle Walker must simply analyse why he struggled when facing his former Manchester City teammate and how he can avoid such a display going forward.
But in all fairness, the decorated defender could simply put his showing down to a rare poor day at the office.
