Since signing for Manchester City in 2017, Kyle Walker has been a mainstay at the club and one of the best players in his world in his position..
During Pep Guardiola’s time in charge of City, Walker has been one of the players he has relied on the most.
So much so that the speedster was handed the armband at Manchester City last season.
Considering names such as Vincent Kompany, David Silva, Fernandinho and Ilkay Gundogan have captained the club in recent years, Walker being voted as the skipper is an indicator of the respect he commands within the dressing room.
However, the Englishman is 34 and in most cases, players start to experience a dip in their form at his age.
Pundits like Matt Le Tissier claimed Walker was “worse than average” in an England shirt at Euro 2024.
But during the 2023/2024 season, Pep Guardiola maintained his trust in the veteran as his first-choice right-back.
Jason Cundy says Man City superstar’s place could be under threat
Walker played the third-most minutes out of any City player in all competitions during the previous campaign (3,900) — only behind Phil Foden (4,114) and Rodri (4,167) — according to FbRef.
But Pep Guardiola does not seem reluctant to start phasing ageing players out.
For instance, after starting Fernandinho in 26 Premier League games during the 2019/2020 season, the Brazilian was restricted to a mere 12 league starts in the following campaign due to the growing influence of Rodri.
At the time, the five-time Premier League winner was the captain of the club.
Whether the former Tottenham Hotspur defender is handed the same treatment this season will be interesting to see.
Jason Cundy has claimed that Walker could lose his place in both the Manchester City and England starting line-ups due to the emergence of Rico Lewis.
Cundy claimed on talkSPORT (10/09/2024, 10:12 pm): “[Rico] Lewis is a hell of a player. I saw him at Stamford Bridge in the first game of the season. He was playing on the right-hand side as a full-back and he caused us no end of problems. Kyle Walker, he is not guaranteed to get his place back, not just in England but Man City right now. This Rico Lewis is a hell of a player.”
Roy Keane raved about Lewis as he impressed once again during his performance in England’s 2-0 win against Finland on Tuesday.
Rico Lewis’ rise should be a concern for Kyle Walker
With the £25,000-a-week man showcasing both Pep Guardiola and Lee Carsley that he is ready to be a starter, Walker would have every reason to be concerned.
Lewis’ versatility allows tactically flexible managers like Guardiola and Carsley to deploy him in a variety of ways.
Furthermore, the 19-year-old continues to showcase for both club and country that despite his slight frame, he is a reliable defender; a trait Walker has possessed at the highest possible level — making him indispensable for both Manchester City and England over the years.
However, the six-time Premier League winner seems to be on the wane defensively — committing uncharacteristic errors when facing direct wingers such as Anthony Gordon, Raheem Sterling and Rodrygo since last season.
With Lewis also being far superior to Walker technically and in tight areas, the latter could play considerably less minutes for City this campaign — which in turn, could also impact his England career.
