Kyle Walker has admitted he ‘didn’t actually want’ to join Aston Villa on loan, but that his 2011 move there turned out to be ‘the best’ of his career.
Now 34 years old, Walker has been one of the best right-backs of the past decade and arguably the greatest in Premier League history.
The Sheffield United academy product has won six Premier League titles and a Champions League with Manchester City among a host of other honours. He’s also picked up 90 caps for England — only 11 players have more — reaching two European Championship finals and a World Cup semi-final with the Three Lions.
But before all of that, Walker spent the second half of the 2010/11 season on loan at Aston Villa on loan from Tottenham, making 18 appearances across all competitions, scoring twice and notching three assists.
Ultimately, the defender proved his worth to Spurs, who then put him on the path to the success he’d enjoy under Pep Guardiola at Man City following his £50m move (per BBC Sport) to the Etihad Stadium in 2017.
Speaking on his You’ll Never Beat Kyle Walker podcast, the defender reflected on his time at Aston Villa under the late Gerard Houllier that, if left up to him, wouldn’t have even happened.
“Yeah. I didn’t actually want to go to Aston Villa. But my agent said I had to go and play Premier League football. It was probably the best move I ever made in my life,” said Walker (via TBR).
“The manager, sadly he has passed away now, and he said every time I can play you, I will play you. I settled really quickly. Villa was the first time I felt like a professional footballer.”
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