Kyle Walker has admitted that his ‘heart kicked in’ during the Dele Alli red card incident against AC Milan a few weeks ago.
Walker’s actions towards the end of Milan’s win over Como last month have divided opinion, specifically his reaction to Alli being sent off. Some fans and pundits didn’t understand why he protested a decision that actually helped Milan.
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As a reminder, Alli was initially shown a yellow card for a nasty challenge on Ruben Loftus-Cheek in which he raked his studs down his calf. After a VAR check it was upgraded to a red card but as referee Matteo Marchetti was about to show the red, Walker ran over and tried to convince him not to.
Walker spoke on his own show The Kyle Walker Podcast on BBC Sounds and he revisited the incident that took place at San Siro, with talkSPORT relaying his comments.
“I think my heart kicked in. Anyone else, I would have just let them get sent off. But with Dele, I know how hard he’s worked to get his chance at Como. It’s a good club for him to try and revive his career,” he said.
“We wanted 10 men, but for the personal relationship that I have with Dele, for the years I’ve known Dele, for what he’s been through – which he’s publicly said and I think he’s been very strong and open about that – to then get sent off for not really a cynical challenge, he was a little bit hard done by,” he added.
Following the match, Dele addressed the red card on social media, writing: “Two years! Not necessarily how I planned it, but we keep moving.” He also shared a screenshot of messages with Loftus-Cheek, who he fouled.
Walker concluded: “Would I have done it [the social media posts]? Maybe not, but Dele thought that was the right thing – probably to say sorry to the fans and show that there was no malicious thought in it. That’s the world that we live in now.”
Not nice but hardly a Roy Keane, Rino Gattuso or Vinnie Jones tackle.
Well he could just as well have seriously injured Loftus whom by the way had just returned from 3 months on the sideline. Don’t get me wrong I can see why he has a connection with Delle Ali and obviously has sympathy for his recent years of turmoil. That’s fine enough and even applaudable but what if the player hadn’t been thrown out and maybe later on scored or assisted a goal that later on would have been detrimental for our seasons goals of cl qualification ? Yeah the season is long gone by now but what if.
Players represents the club and while a match is on going its pretty much a war so I would be pretty furious to see him repeat that sort of gesture again towards any of his former team mates while playing for us.
Well I don’t think anyone is blessed with foresight to know how things would turn out but I think it was one of those in-the-heat-of-the-moment reactions where you don’t even have time to consider the variables or the ramifications. Dele clearly has been through a lot, even not playing for up to two years… He comes on hoping to atleast get some minutes and reignite a career that’s almost fizzled out only to be sent off in less than 10 minutes. All I can say is that these footballers are first humans before being footballers so the reaction is understandable. It could have gone worse for us had Alli stayed on the pitch? Yes! But still it’s understandable how his human side showed up in the moment. Totally understandable.
Even when it wasn’t done in malice it was nevertheless worth the red card given. Regardless of the red card I’m pretty sure he will still get his chances with them. Of course he is a human being first but its still a competition and our players represents our badge and not their friends. and especially when those friends makes a grievious error that fully deserved to be red carded. Had it not been an error I would lean more towards accepting Walker interfering in the name of good sportsmanship but certainly not when the foul is clear as day as that is working against the club he is representing and whom pays his salary.
Ironic words from a guy who constantly cheats on his wife