Kyle Walker
Former England international Kyle Walker is well-known as one of the fastest players the Premier League has seen in the past two decades, at least. The Burnley full-back may be slowing down in his twilight years, but no one could get the better of him for pace during his prime.
Since records began, only one man has been registered at a higher speed than Walker, who hit an incredible 37.31km/h during a 2023 match between Manchester City and Everton. Tottenham's Micky van de Ven then got the better of that record after clocking a 37.38km/h sprint.
Adama Traore (Wolves), Kylian Mbappe (France), Kyle Walker (Man City)
However, the flying Dutchman was not the name Walker gave to Gary Neville when picking out the only player he thought would beat him in a race. Instead, it was one of his former teammates.
Kyle Walker Concedes Defeat to 'Lightning' Former Teammate
Kyle Walker | Burnley
During an interview for The Overlap's YouTube channel, Neville quizzed Walker on whether Manchester City forward Erling Haaland was faster than him. The pair played together at the Etihad and have since faced each other as opponents.
While the Norwegian giant is electric for a man of his size and stature, the English defender feels he would definitely get the better of Haaland in a race. He said: "In my prime, I'd say not. In my prime."
When asked to name the quickest teammate he had at Man City, Walker responded: "Leroy [Sane]. Yeah Leroy was quick and he looked good when he ran as well. I might look like I'm trying a lot. I'd still say me over 100 metres. I would put myself ahead of anyone."
He did begrudgingly admit he thinks former Arsenal and England forward Theo Walcott could be the only man he's seen in action that could beat him in a sprint. The pair played together for the Three Lions, and Walker admitted:
He then brushed off Gareth Bale's previous suggestion that he'd win a race between the two, saying: "Gaz Bale, I'd beat him. I honestly think I'd beat him. He said he would beat me but I honestly think I'd beat him in my prime. He was quick and he was an unbelievable player, but I think in a run without a ball, I'm beating him."
Watch Kyle Walker's full answer below (46:35 onwards):
Gareth Bale Thinks He's Faster Than Walker
Gareth Bale and Kyle Walker
Also appearing on The Overlap, former Tottenham and Real Madrid superstar Bale was asked who the faster player he ever played with was. He quickly responded by saying: "I played with Kyle Walker. So yeah, we had some good training battles."
Kyle Walker warms up for England
When asked if he'd win a race against his ex-Spurs colleague, the Welshman wasn't quite as confident as Walker, but did ultimately back himself. He told Neville and the rest of the panel: