‘Big player’: Roy Keane claims £45m man Tottenham sold has had a ‘very good career’

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It has been nearly five years since Tottenham sold Kyle Walker to Manchester City, and some would argue that they still haven’t replaced the right-back.

Roy Keane has shared that the one-time Tottenham man has had a ‘very good career’, but he still thinks he makes ‘too many mistakes’, as he told Super Sunday on Sky Sports

When Walker left Spurs for the Etihad for £45 million in 2017 (BBC Sport), it was under a dark cloud because the North London club were flying, at the time.

But his decision to leave has been justified, with the medals now in his cabinet, such as the Premier League, being proof of that.

Nonetheless, whilst also labelling Walker as a ‘big player’ and praising the career he has had, Keane, in his own typical way, couldn’t help but be critical of the flying full-back.

“You are supposed to run back, that’s what defenders do,” said Keane. “He has had a very good career.

“I have been critical of him in the past. I still think he makes too many mistakes. And he obviously depends a lot on his pace to get him out of trouble.

“But he has had a very good career – and I am sure there is plenty more to come from him. I still think concentration and he still makes too many mistakes.

“There is no getting away from it. He is an outstanding player. A very, very good player. But I can be quite critical of defenders, when it’s the concentration, that’s what irritates me the most. But big player for Man City and England. The kid has done something right.”

Kieran Trippier did start to grow in the right-back role when Walker left Spurs, including pushing himself towards being an England international.

But he was the only one really bringing quality to that area, with Serge Aurier coming in, but he would become error-prone during his days at the club.

When Trippier left for Atletico Madrid, that’s when trying to find that quality right-sided fullback really became a problem for Spurs.

With Walker, Trippier and now Aurier out of the door, Spurs fans will be hoping summer signing, Emerson Royal, can do the business because he showed his first real sign of promise during his side’s 2-1 win against Aston Villa on Sunday.