‘I hugged Vinicius so he doesn’t try to rainbow flick me again’ says Kyle Walker
Manchester City star Kyle Walker has said he hugged Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior to ward him off another rainbow flick attempt.
The English right-back against the Brazilian winger is one of the key battles in the Champions League clash, which is 1-1 at the halfway stage heading into the second leg at the Etihad tomorrow (May 17).
Despite Vinicius giving his side the lead at the Bernabeu, Walker handled the threat well over the course of the 90 minutes – which included snuffing out a rainbow flick skill move. He then headed over to his opponent after the final whistle.
READ MORE: Real Madrid left stranded at airport as coach fails to arrive ahead of Man City clash
The pair shared an embrace which was lapped up on social media. And speaking about it in Tuesday's pre-match press conference, Walker explained: "Well I went to hug him because he tried to rainbow flick me.
"So it was kind of like 'please don’t try that again', because I don’t want to be a meme or anything. I think boxers, they fight, they have a good battle and they shake hands after. And I think that's the level of respect I do have for him.
Who are you backing to get to the final? Let us know in the comments section below
"It was the same with any other player, I feel when it's a good game you go and give them that level of respect because they deserve it.
"Tomorrow night, if chosen, I'll give him the respect he deserves but before then, it's kind of dog eat dog."
Walker heaped praise on Vinicius, who has come in for criticism in Spain for going to ground too easily and complaining to referees.
He continued: "It's a personal battle against one of the best players in the world. I have faced many who have been as good as him. It will be a great battle.
“You're not going to say 'go on, walk through and score'. I'm representing Manchester City, a massive football club and the ambition for this club is massive.
"If I can’t compete with these top players from Real Madrid, Paris St Germain or whoever, I shouldn’t be here. I need to make sure I come against the best and I can deal with the best.”
READ NEXT:
Man City to get Premier League trophy this weekend if they beat Chelsea
Man Utd fans furious at Jamie Carragher's combined XI of 1999 team vs Man City now
Aymeric Laporte celebrates Premier League title early with cheeky WWE-inspired tweet
How Prem table would look without Erling Haaland's goals for Man City – with new top four
13 players who could've played for obscure national teams – like De Bruyne and Gullit
Source: Read Full Article