Manchester City full-back Kyle Walker is one of world's best but can improve in one way, says Pep Guardiola
Walker is preparing to meet Tottenham Hotspur for the first time since swapping north London for Manchester during the summer
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Your support makes all the difference.Kyle Walker is already one of the world’s best full-backs according to his manager, but Pep Guardiola believes a more considered approach would help the Manchester City player improve further still.
On Saturday, Walker will face his former club Tottenham Hotspur for the first time since swapping north London for Manchester in a £50m move last summer.
The 27-year-old has established himself as Guardiola's first-choice right-back in the time since, playing regularly in a side that sits 11 points clear at the top of the Premier League table after a record 15 consecutive victories.
On the eve of his reunion with Mauricio Pochettino and Tottenham at the Etihad, Walker was hailed as “definitely” one world football’s leading full-backs by his new manager Guardiola.
The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich head coach picked out Walker's display in last weekend Manchester derby as evidence for the claim, noting how his speed allowed him to keep the likes of Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial under wraps.
However, Guardiola also warned Walker that he will not always be able to rely on his physical attributes and challenged the full-back to take a more cerebral approach in the future.
“His energy, his one-on-one is so strong defensively, but I would like to help him solve problems not just through his physicality but through his thinking,” the City manager said.
“Normally when people are so strong physically, they solve all the problems with that. But he will be older - 27, 28, 29, 30 - and after that, maybe he is going to think more of what happens.
“I would like to always encourage him to think. Before you take a decision think, then after that do it.”
The City manager added: “Sometimes when a guy is strong like him always he wants to take a decision through the physicality. Sometimes you have to be calm.
“There are moments to run, there are moments to play, there are moments to be quiet, moments to think and see. During the game you have to use many different ways.”
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