Saturday 14 January 2017 11:25, UK
Schoolboy rivals and now two of the best full backs in Europe.
I posted this message on social media right after sitting down with Kyle Walker and Danny Rose earlier this week and, initially, thought nothing of it.
Until I checked back a little while later to see the storm it had created. It was the ‘Europe’ bit people had a problem with. A torrent of other names got hurled in my direction – Hector Bellerin, Antonio Valencia, James Milner; on the continent, Philipp Lahm, David Alaba, Juanfran, to mention just a few.
Fair enough. Of course there’s a number of incredible players in those positions that everyone agreeing who the best four or five are is never going to happen.
But no one picked up on the first part - ‘schoolboy rivals’. And it's how Rose and Walker got to this point that’s the interesting part. Two Yorkshiremen, born little more than a month apart, who went head-to-head as kids but have now become firm friends and a Premier League partnership to be feared.
On the pitch, as kids, and off the pitch, as their careers progressed, they don’t seem to be able to shake one another off.
"Honestly, as a kid, Kyle was one of the smallest, skinniest players I've ever played against,” says Rose – then a midfielder and part of a near invincible Leeds academy side that also included Fabian Delph.
“I can’t believe how big, physical and quick he’s become. It’s been mad to see the transformation over the years.”
Back then Walker was not just skinny, he was a centre-forward. A Blades fan who idolised Brian Deane but who admits his Sheffield United side found the going tough whenever they came up against Rose and Leeds.
“Whenever we played them our manager would say, ‘if we can get a draw, that would be good.’"
Their dads would be on the touchline watching, as they still do to this day.
“For away games they are always sat close to each other. We’ll go to say hello after games and they’re stood there having a laugh. It’s a good relationship.”
Rose was 17 when he signed for Spurs, Walker moved two years later having played just a handful of matches for Sheffield United.
"There were four guys in front of me when I signed, Gunts [Chris Gunter], [Pascal] Chimbonda, [Vedran] Corluka and Naughts [Kyle Naughton]. Luckily there were people who believed in me," says Walker, who gradually worked his way through that list. He became a fixture of the first team at around the time Rose went out on loan to Sunderland.
"That was a great experience for me," says Rose. "AVB [Andre Villas-Boas] had taken over here and before that it was Harry's last season.
"My mind was made up that I had to get out of Tottenham and go somewhere to play. I didn't think I could take another season of playing only when certain people decided they didn't want to play in certain games."
As both worked their ways toward the Spurs first team, their friendly rivalry continued. I show them a picture of a game in which they came head-to-head while out on loan. Rose for Bristol City, Walker at QPR. They both remember it instantly.
"It was a Friday night game, 1-1," says Rose. "I was man of the match," comes the smiling reply.
"He's horrible to play against, I can't stand it," Walker continues, now sounding almost in awe of his full-back partner. "He's always around you, he does not give you a moment's rest."
"It still carries on today," it's Rose on Walker now. "The gaffer never puts us on the same side in training but it's good for me.
"He's bigger than me, stronger than me, I have to think outside the box to stop him.
"For me he's the best full-back in the league. I don't tell him this but [for games] I think, 'I've got to do better than Walks'. I look at what he's done - how many crosses he's put in, how many sprints he's made and try to match him."
There's competition between them but during games, they work very much as a partnership. When one goes forward, Mauricio Pochettino expects the other to tuck round as cover.
In a 3-4-2-1, like they played against Chelsea, they can start higher up the pitch and, with an extra centre half, have more cover. It was key to a victory that got them right back in to the title race, as Rose and Walker drove Victor Moses and Marcos Alonso back into their own half.
Their form has got people talking. Apparently Pep Guardiola wants them both at City. There's speculation Jose Mourinho would like to take them to the red side of Manchester.
It's time for another picture. I show them the images of the two of them signing new contracts at the back end of last year. They don't sound like players about to hurry off up the motorway. In fact, there's even time for a joke as Rose spots the suit the manager wore in so many of the signing shots.
"What people don't realise is that he keeps his tracksuit bottoms on. If anyone is wondering, he just puts his shirt and tie and jacket on.
"But it was a great day and [with a five-year contract] hopefully I'll be here till I'm 31."
Walker on the other hand, does plan to leave - but not until the end of his career when he hopes to return home.
"Hopefully one day I'll get to play for Sheffield United in the Premier League, hopefully that's a dream that can come true.
"They put a lot of faith in me and hopefully I can finish my career there, just to say thank you."
Maybe you disagree with the first part of my tweet, maybe you don't rate them among the best full-backs in Europe. But if you'd have to agree with the second. A fierce rivalry has developed into a formidable partnership.
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