Soccer

Kyle Walker determined to stop Man Utd raining on Man City’s parade this weekend

Victory would see City become the first English side to win the domestic double in successive seasons.

Kyle Walker lifted the Premier League trophy on Sunday
Kyle Walker lifted the Premier League trophy on Sunday (Martin Rickett/PA)

Kyle Walker is determined to stop arch-rivals Manchester United raining on Manchester City’s parade this weekend.

City, fresh from securing an unprecedented fourth-consecutive Premier League title, bid to create more history on Saturday as they take on their neighbours in the FA Cup final.

Victory would see City become the first English side to win the domestic double in successive seasons and give them an extra trophy to show off on their planned open-top bus tour of Manchester on Sunday.

Yet Walker is well aware that United, still smarting after losing last season’s final and seeing their 1999 treble emulated by their neighbours, will have a point to prove.

Walker said: “The motivation speaks for itself – to be the first team to do the double double, the first team to win four in a row, the first team since Manchester United to do the treble.

“We keep knocking down these hurdles and this is another that we need to knock down.

“But it’s against our rivals who live in the same city and are going to want to rain on our parade. We need to make sure that we play the game we have been playing, particularly to the back end of this season.

“We’re still coming into training now and wanting to graft and work hard to put the icing on the cake for the season.

“It’s a trophy against your arch-rivals. It’s a derby and it’s going to be big.”

Such is the hunger at City under inspirational manager Pep Guardiola that Walker, 33, sees no reason why the club’s dominance should not continue.

He said: “I can assure you, when we come back here for pre-season it might take us a few days to get the cobwebs off, but as soon as that first Premier League game comes, we’re straight back into motion and trying to defend our crown.

Walker considered his future 12 months ago and was tempted by an offer from Bayern Munich
Walker considered his future 12 months ago and was tempted by an offer from Bayern Munich (Adam Davy/PA)

“Why can’t we do five in a row?”

Walker has relished the captaincy this season, having taken over the role following the departure of Ilkay Gundogan last summer.

After being left out of the starting line-up for the Champions League final last season, Walker did consider his future 12 months ago and was tempted by an offer from Bayern Munich.

Ultimately he decided to stay and feels he made the correct choice.

He said: “It would have been a lot different because I’d have been at a different club, but that was a moment in my personal life that I felt I wanted to move away from England.

“It was nothing to do with footballing reasons, it was something personal to me where I thought that taking a break from England might have been right for me.

“But first and foremost I have to think about the football. It’s what I love doing and I felt that, come the end of it, I would be a lot happier at Manchester City than I would at Bayern Munich.

“People look at the Champions League as disappointment but someone was going to have to miss out. There can only be 11 on the pitch and it wasn’t just me sat down.

“It’s a learning curve and something I’ve had to deal with in life and I move on. I don’t sulk or drop my lip, Pep did it for the right reasons to win the game.”

Walker has two years left on his current contract.

“I’ll go as long as I can go,” he said. “This is a job that I love. I never wake up and think ‘I don’t want to go in’.

“I love playing football, it makes me happy. It’s my happy place. I still think I can give more to the team.”