Former Tottenham defender opens up on his departure

When speaking on BBC Five Live, former Tottenham Hotspur defender Kyle Walker spoke about his departure from the club back in the summer of 2017. The defender said:

"I went up to the manager and said, ‘I’m not in your plans, am I? And he said, no. He’s going to push more for Trippier next season. So I said, ‘Please can I go?’ And he said, ‘Well, I won’t stand in your way.’ That was it. "

Normally, something as brief as that would be seen as pretty nondescript and not much to talk about. However, Spurs fans have found it quite peculiar and some have even been calling the defenders bluff on it.

A lot of people are perplexed at why, or how, Walker would not be seen as the first choice right-back at the club, considering the aforementioned move to Manchester City made him the most expensive defender in the world, and how he has gone to experience a lot of success in his time in Manchester.

Former Tottenham defender opens up on his departure

Whilst it is true that Trippier was getting more game time towards the back end of the 2016/17 season, with Walker even saying as much a couple of years ago, it cannot be denied that the Manchester City man was the first choice that season, playing 33 league games and starting 31 of those.

Still, it is a weird thing to lie about, so it would be interesting to see if Mauricio Pochettino can confirm or deny these rumours. Whilst Trippier's international career has ended with the defender announcing his retirement last week, and Walker's potentially coming to an end less consciously, having not been included in Lee Carsley's first squad, Pochettino's is about to start, with the former Spurs manager set to take charge of the USMNT ahead of their preparation for the 2026 World Cup on home soil.