Kyle Walker breaks silence on trying to save Spurs friend Dele Alli from red card
Kyle Walker has reflected on the unusual incident following Dele Alli’s sending-off in the clash between AC Milan and Como last month, with the former Tottenham right-back revealing why he tried to save his old teammate from a red card.
Dele Alli made his long-awaited return to the pitch at the San Siro last month, coming on as an 81st-minute substitute in his debut for Como.
However, the night ended disastrously for the attacking midfielder, who was sent off for a poor challenge on Milan midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
That has meant a three-match suspension for the former Tottenham Hotspur man, who is yet to feature since for Como, and Walker, who was playing for Milan on the night has explained his actions that followed the red card.
Kyle Walker reveals why he tried to save former Tottenham pal
After the red card had been brandished, Kyle Walker tried to intervene and pleaded with the referee to not show Dele a red despite the fact that he was playing for the opposition.
The England right-back’s pleas fell on deaf years, and he has now reflected on why he was batting for his former teammate, confessing that his heart took over.
He said on The Kyle Walker Podcast on BBC Sounds: “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.
“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.”
Walker reflects on Dele Alli’s social media post
After the game, Dele shared a screenshot of his Whatsapp chat with Loftus-Cheek as a means to prove that the challenge was not malicious.
In the conversation, the pair were having a joke about the challenge, with the former Chelsea man admitting that he had no clue it was Dele who tripped him and that he only stayed down because he was tired.
When asked about the screenshot being shared by his former Spurs teammate, Walker said: “Would I have done it? 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.”
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