Emile Heskey has recalled the time he played with current Manchester City star Kyle Walker – and shared a piece of advice he gave him.
Walker is currently one of the best right-backs in world football.
Despite approaching his mid-thirties, Walker remains as fit as a fiddle and is extremely highly regarded by players and managers everywhere.
He has been wearing the captain’s armband for City with Kevin De Bruyne currently out injured.
Walker actually looked as though he was going to leave City at one point this summer.
Bayern Munich had concrete interest in the full-back.
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But he’s stayed put, and there has been talk about him signing a new contract.
Walker came up in conversation on the FilthyFellas YouTube channel, with Heskey singing his praises…
Emile Heskey raves over Man City star Kyle Walker
Many likely will not know, but Heskey and Walker did actually cross over.
In 2011, Walker went on loan to Aston Villa from Tottenham Hotspur, having spent the first half of the season with QPR.
Heskey was at Villa Park at the time, having joined from Wigan Athletic in 2009.
It quickly became apparent to Heskey that Walker had something pretty special.
He said: “What a player. The fascinating thing with him is I always said to him you’re going to be the future England right-back. Glen Johnson was the right-back at the time. I said ‘you’re better than him, you’re going to take his place’.
“The only thing I would say with Kyle, and obviously he’s gone and done what he’s done (in his career)… I said ‘You need to figure out how to forget quickly’. So he’d make a bad pass and for five or six minutes after that bad pass, he’s (still) in that bad pass! So I’m saying to him you need to forget about that because I’ve lost you now, I need you.
“He had to work on that. But from the first time I saw him, you’re a future England right-back.”
What a career Kyle Walker has had
It is lovely to hear how Heskey could tell straight away that Walker would become England’s number one right-back.
The 33-year-old has had a tremendous career to date.
In the eyes of many now, he is the greatest right-back this country has ever produced. And for some, he’s actually the best full-back, period.
Joining City in 2017 from Tottenham Hotspur for £50 million was a move that truly made him the top player he is today.
He’s won so much, and impressed so many – and he’s still got plenty of gas left in the tank.