Glen Johnson has now claimed that Manchester City target Reece James is better than Kyle Walker.
The 39-year-old made the comment when speaking to Squawka.
So, what did Glen Johnson say about Kyle Walker and Reece James? Let’s take a look…
What’s the story?
Well – according to the Independent – Manchester City have admired the Chelsea No.24 for many years, and believe he can be the heir to Walker’s throne at the Etihad Stadium.
Now, Johnson – who knows a thing or two about playing on the right of defence, having won 54 caps for England in that role – has admitted that he thinks James is better than the Manchester City No.2 right now.
When discussing who he would select at right-back for England, the 39-year-old said: “Walker’s speed is so important. Walker, for example, plays for the best team in the world where you can get away with murder. You can’t do that for England. For me, if I had to pick a right-back for England, it’d be Reece James. He’s the least error prone option we have and he’s still a huge threat going forward.”
In our view, it is very harsh to say that Walker makes more mistakes than James – context is needed.
Kyle Walker is more reliable for Manchester City than Reece James is at Chelsea
The 33-year-old plays far more football than the Chelsea academy graduate, who often struggles with injuries, so he is bound to make more errors.
For example, Walker has played every minute of the 2023/24 Premier League campaign so far, while the £250,000-a-week James has only been able to make three starts.
Last season, the 23-year-old could only manage 14 Premier League starts, whereas the Sheffield-born defender made 22 Premier League starts for Manchester City on his way to securing a historic treble.
Of course, James is a hugely talented footballer, but availability is the most important trait of all, and Walker dominates him in that regard, even in spite of the fact he is a decade older.
