Kyle Walker responds when asked about Eric Dier calling him a traitor for leaving Tottenham

Follow us on Google Discover

Kyle Walker left Tottenham Hotspur for Manchester City this summer.

Manchester City defender Kyle Walker has laughed off Eric Dier’s jokes that he is a ‘traitor’ for leaving Tottenham Hotspur this past summer, chalking it up as ‘banter’ whilst speaking to ESPN.

Walker, 27, spent eight years on the books with Tottenham having signed from Sheffield United in 2009, but largely flattered to deceive until Mauricio Pochettino’s appointment in the summer of 2014.

The right back developed and improved under Pochettino, becoming Tottenham’s undoubted first-choice right back, as well as emerging as England’s first-choice ahead of Liverpool’s Nathaniel Clyne.

After a strange end to last season, in which Walker lost his place to Kieran Trippier, the defender moved ton to Manchester City in July, with Pep Guardiola’s men paying a huge fee to land Walker.

Despite intense speculation over the futures of many important Tottenham players, Walker was the only star to leave the North London club this summer, with the likes of Dele Alli and Eric Dier staying put.

Walker, Alli and Dier are all on international duty with England right now, and conversation has been sparked in recent days by an Instagram live post on Friday, which featured Alli and Dier calling Walker a ‘traitor’ for leaving Spurs.

Walker hit back by saying it was alright when Dier wanted to join Manchester United this past summer, which had caused something of a furore amongst Spurs fans.

However, speaking to ESPN ahead of tonight’s England clash against Slovakia, Walker claimed that it was ‘friendly banter’ with his ex-Spurs team-mates, adding that he still has a strong relationship with the two players in question despite leaving Tottenham.

“It’s just a bit of friendly banter,” said Walker. “I think it’s been took a bit too far, me, Del, Harry [Kane], Eric, we’re all very close. I’ve know them for a good six, seven years now. It’s all just a bit of friendly banter I wouldn’t read too much into it. it’s just kind of one of them things that you just have a bit of fun about. You know, me and Eric have a good relationship on and off the field. We have banter together and I take it, he takes it. That’s just about it, really,” he added.