Europe 09 May 2025 at 18:34

Hazem Mlhem

News Editor

England international Kyle Walker has faced plenty of quality strikers in his career, whether it was in his early days at Tottenham Hotspur or during his time at Manchester City.

When talking about the toughest opponent the England international has ever faced, the likes of Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe come to mind, but surprisingly, the Englishman didn't put them on that list.

Who is the toughest player Kyle Wolk has faced?

Having played for several Premier League sides, most notably Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur, the England international said the toughest opponent he has faced is former Arsenal and Manchester City star Samir Nasri.

Samir Nasri had many good days during his time at Manchester City and was one of the best and most dangerous players in the English Premier League, although he left Man City in 2017, the same year Kyle Walker arrived at the club.

What Kyle Walker said?

Speaking candidly on a podcast, England international defender Kyle Walker revealed the players who have challenged him the most during his career, preferring not to mention the expected names such as Mbappe or Neymar.

Walker explained: “Everyone will mention the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Sadio Mane, Neymar and Vinicius Junior, but I personally found facing Manchester City and Samir Nasri a completely different challenge during my time at Tottenham.”

The defender added: “When it came to tactical intelligence, Nasri deserved the title of the toughest opponent I faced. He would pick his spots with baffling precision, leaving a young defender - as I was at the time - scratching his head: 'Do I follow him or do I stay in my position? But the surprise came with Gael Clichy's quick interventions from the back.”

“The special chemistry between Nasri and Clichy, developed during their years together at Arsenal, carried over to Manchester City, making it a tactical chess match. Whenever I faced City and the duo were present, I knew I was in for a really tough game.”