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Only four players have featured more for Pep Guardiola across his entire management career. That in itself shows how important Kyle Walker has been to the success of him and Manchester City since his arrival in 2017.
It was just last season that Guardiola made Walker captain as the side achieved an incredible fourth Premier League title in a row.
In 2023, the right-back was linked with a move to Bayern Munich. Speaking on a potential transfer at the time, Guardiola called Walker “irreplaceable” and claimed the club would fight to keep him.
-“He is an incredibly important player for us,” Guardiola said. “His specific qualities are irreplaceable. We want him, yes, in the end. I don’t know what will happen. I know we’re in contact, both clubs. We will fight for him like I’m sure Bayern will.”
And the feeling between the two was mutual, with Walker always speaking incredibly highly of Guardiola. Back in September, during an episode of his You’ll Never Beat Kyle Walker podcast, the 34-year-old described his manager as “unbelievable,” adding that he “fell in love with the game more by working under Pep.”
