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Manchester City star Kyle Walker snubbed Kevin De Bruyne and named a surprise former Tottenham Hotspur player as the two best footballers he's ever played alongside. He surprisingly did not pick Gareth Bale as his best teammate at Spurs.
Many would expect the duo to be obvious choices, given their achievements. To date, De Bruyne has played 370 matches across competitions for Manchester City, bagging 98 goals and 166 assists across competitions.
Despite their incredible achievements, Walker went with former Manchester City teammate David Silva and ex-Tottenham Hotspur player Mousa Dembele. Speaking about the duo, Walker told the Vibe with FIVE podcast (via SPORTbible):
"You pass him a ball ball, and he makes it look like a good ball - he makes you look better. David was so good. All-rounder, Kevin, but David individually."
He added:
"David or, I've said Mousa Dembele countless times. He's a scandal. The only thing Dembele didn't have was goals and assists, but he had stupid talent- it shouldn't have been allowed."
Walker played 103 matches across competitions with Silva but failed to register a joint goal contribution. The 2010 FIFA World Cup winner with Spain made 436 appearances for Manchester City, bagging 77 goals and 140 assists.
Meanwhile, Walker and Dembele appeared 139 times together. The ex-Spurs man played 249 matches for the north Londoners, bagging 10 goals and 12 assists in all competitions.
When Kyle Walker said Kevin De Bruyne is in the same bracket as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo
Manchester City full-back Kyle Walker lavished praise on his club teammate Kevin De Bruyne while speaking about the midfielder in an interview in January 2024. He placed the 32-year-old in the same bracket as the great Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Walker and De Bruyne have played 207 matches together for the Cityzens across competitions, bagging three joint goal contributions. Speaking about the Belgian, Walker said (via fifapro):
"I think there's only certain players, the likes of Messi and Ronaldo, that you can say are in the same bracket as Kevin- Kevin goes into that bracket for me."
Messi and Ronaldo are eight-time and five-time recipients of the Ballon d'Or award respectively. Both players have enjoyed stellar careers, and drawing a comparison with the duo is a bold statement.
De Bruyne will be key to Manchester City's back end of the campaign as they chase Arsenal, who are top of the Premier League. The Gunners are a point clear of the Cityzens who are in third place.
