Kyle Walker has acknowledged that he may no longer be the fastest player in the Premier League after being outrun in Manchester City’s recent 3-2 victory over Fulham. Known for his lightning speed, the 34-year-old City defender appeared to meet his match in Adama Traore during a memorable moment at the Etihad on October 5.
The showdown between the two speedsters began when Raul Jimenez launched a long ball, setting Walker and Traore off in a foot race. Despite Walker’s slight head start, Traore managed to edge past him, streaking ahead of the City captain before his shot was blocked by Ederson, saving Walker’s pride.
The footage of this encounter quickly spread across social media, sparking conversations about Walker’s pace. In response, Walker addressed the moment on the BBC Sport podcast You’ll Never Beat Kyle Walker. “I mean, Adama Traore would beat me, quite comfortably, I want to address it,” he admitted. “I thought I had him. It’s not an excuse; he beat me fair and square, but I’m going to remember it.”
Reflecting on what went wrong, Walker noted, “My arm should have come across… when I start running backwards [towards goal], nine times out of 10 people just stop, but he obviously backs himself so much. Next minute he’s actually in front of me, and I tried to give him the arm to claw back a little, but he’s that strong.”
Walker also mentioned Tottenham’s Micky van de Ven as another speed rival, although he hinted that Traore is only the second player ever to outpace him in nearly two decades. “In 18 years, that’s not bad,” he added, recalling another close call with Ousmane Dembele during an international match against France.
“It’s not a bad reaction for them to be that surprised,” Walker concluded. “I’m obviously doing something right.”
