Kyle Walker might be the best full-back England has ever produced, Danny Murphy has claimed.
The Manchester City defender put in a terrific display in Sunday’s 3-0 win over Everton, earning his 11th clean sheet of the season. Walker has only started 19 Premier League games this campaign with Pep Guardiola making several alterations to his formation at various points this season.
However, he has started five of the last six Premier League matches and played the full 90 minutes in last week’s Champions League semi-final first-leg draw with Real Madrid at the Bernabeu.
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His defensive work against Everton was particularly praised as he snuffed out the Toffees' pacey counter-attacks and build-up play at Goodison Park. Speaking on Match Of The Day 2, Murphy said Walker is “arguably playing the best football of his career”.
“And that’s saying something considering the levels he has set recently,” he added. “He’s patient, gets back and covers, we see that very often.”
Describing a first-half passage that saw Abdoulaye Doucoure break through the City backline only to be foiled by the chasing Walker, Murphy outlined: “Here he spots the danger.
“Obviously City press high and leave gaps but they do it because they have got the physicality and they trust the defenders to cope. That’s Doucoure, a really quick player who Waker gets past so comfortably.”
And in another passage during the second half where Walker snuffed out another Everton attack, Murphy added: “You see Kyle Walker spotting the danger. ‘Where’s my man? Where am I going to be? What position?’.
"People talk about his positional play, I think that’s the main thing that’s improved in the last couple of seasons. He doesn’t only spot the danger when he gets the ball, like most City players, he’s nice and confident, plays out.
"He’s really hard to play against. He’s arguably the greatest English full-back we’ve ever had."
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