Walker is full of praise for Dembele, but admits he can be a hugely frustrating opponent.
Tottenham Hotspur defender Kyle Walker has told the club’s official website that he hates training with teammate Mousa Dembele because he can never get the ball off him.
Dembele and Walker are two of the first names on Mauricio Pochettino’s teamsheet for Spurs because of their consistent high-quality performances at central midfield and right-back respectively.
The Belgian midfielder in particular has received plenty of plaudits for his form this season, with some pundits labelling him one of the best midfielders in England this term.
Walker clearly has a great deal of admiration for his teammate, but revealed that he cannot abide finding himself up against the Belgian in training as he struggles so badly to get the ball off him.
Walker told the club’s website: “It’s difficult to say! In training, I hate him because it’s so frustrating, I can’t get the ball off him! When he’s playing for you on a Saturday, he’s fantastic, a joy to watch. The ball is like glue, it doesn’t move from his feet.
“I always view him as left-footed and I always think he’s going to go left but he pushes it that far, you can’t get it.
“He’s a joy to watch and young footballers coming through the Spurs Academy can look up to him and try to replicate what he’s doing.”
Dembele has played 17 times for Spurs this season despite missing the first month of the season due to a suspension incurred at the end of last term for an eye gouge on Chelsea’s Diego Costa.
He has been a fixture in Pochettino’s side ever since his return, and is the main engine in their drive to push for a first league title since the 1960s.
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