Kyle Walker Full of Praise for Former Spurs Defoe and Kaboul
By Ryan Wrenn
Kyle Walker has nothing but nice things to say about former Spurs Jermain Defoe and Younès Kaboul, both of whom he will likely face in Sunday’s game against Sunderland.
“We all know what JD [Jermain Defoe] can do in and around the box so we need to be switched on defensively for that,” he told Spurs TV Thursday. “And Younès has been a fantastic servant to the club and especially for me he taught me a lot when I was here in my first season. He looked after me and I have a lot to thank him for.”
Of the two players, Defoe’s time with Spurs is by far the most storied. The 32-year-old striker featured 357 times over two stints for the club, scoring 138 goals. He parted ways with Spurs for the last time in 2014, leaving England for a shot to start regularly for Major League Soccer side Toronto FC. A year later he returned to the Premier League to play for Sunderland in their relegation campaign last term.
Sunderland coach Dick Advocaat has taken to playing Defoe slightly wider on the left hand side of three-man attack, meaning that he will be in direct competition with Walker’s rightback position if he starts.
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The game against Tottenham will only be Kaboul’s fourth start in Sunderland’s colors after being sold to the north-eastern side over the summer. He’s faced broad criticism for his poor play so far and it remains to be seen if he can defend his starting position from ex-Liverpool man Sebastian Coates.
Walker himself might have once feared for his place at Spurs The 25-year-old initially appeared to have declined after being awarded the 2012 PFA Young Player of the Year award. Last season was unquesitonably the roughest. Poor form mixed with injuries combined to bring into doubt Walker’s place in Spurs’ starting XI, an impression not allayed with the arrival of fellow right-back Kieran Trippier from Burnley over the summer.
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From the start of the season though Walker has arguably been one of Tottenham’s key men. His unfortunate own goal against Manchester United in the opening day of the season is the one blemish in an otherwise remarkable resurgence. He looks his old self again, though now injected with an added dose of defensive discipline sometimes lacking from his earlier game. He’ll be hoping to continue his fine form through the team’s visit to the Stadium of Light.
Walker thus remains cautiously hopeful about the overall game.
“I think it’s going to be an exciting game, we always like to take it to the opposition but we have to show respect to the home side. They’ll have the crowd behind them but we need to stick to the gameplan. Do what we’ve been working on most of the season and go on and get the result.”
A win at the Stadium of Light would make it the club’s first in five attempts so far this Premier League season. An opening match away to United was never going to be easy, but the loss there was followed in short succession by three consecutive draws to teams many fans and pundits thought Spurs would brush aside.