Tears all round when Spurs sacked Villas-Boas - Walker

Tune in to the newest installment of the You Can't Outdo Kyle Walker podcast on BBC Sounds. [Image credit: Getty Images]

Kyle Walker mentioned that former Tottenham boss Andre Villas-Boas was emotional and began to cry when he was fired by chairman Daniel Levy in December 2013.

The defender from Manchester City, who was at Tottenham Hotspur for eight years between 2009-17, praised his former manager as "very kind" on the most recent episode of the podcast called You'll Never Beat Kyle Walker.

Walker recounts the unforgettable moment when Villas-Boas spoke to the Spurs team after being fired. He mentioned that some players were also moved to tears during the emotional meeting.

"I have tears streaming down my face... Michael Dawson is getting emotional," said the 34-year-old. "That's how important he was to the team."

Andre Villas-Boas, a manager from Portugal, became the head of Spurs in July 2012 and came very close to helping the team make it to the Champions League in his debut season. They ended up only one point behind Arsenal, who finished fourth in the Premier League.

Spurs' team that season had Gareth Bale, who was named the PFA Player of the Year in 2012-13.

The Welsh player completed a historic transfer to Real Madrid for £85.3m in 2013, setting a new world record at the time. Despite investing in new players, the team faced difficulties in the next season.

Following a series of bad outcomes, a humiliating 5-0 loss to Liverpool in December 2013 led to Villas-Boas being fired.

Walker expresses disappointment regarding the team's underperformance which led to the manager losing his job.

"He mentioned that losing Bale was a significant setback," he stated. "They used the money from his transfer to bring in seven new players. With all these changes, we didn't have enough time to come together as a team before Villas-Boas had to deliver results."

Even though the team didn't show their appreciation, Walker still praises his old boss by saying, "If 10 or 12 men are crying because the manager is leaving, it shows how impactful he was in the dressing room."

Selection Call Was Really Hurtful

Walker also talked on the podcast about his connection with ex-Tottenham Hotspur manager, Mauricio Pochettino.

He had been a consistent player for Tottenham, but in his last season he had to compete with fellow English international Kieran Trippier for the right-back position.

He mentioned that he has a lot of respect for Trippier, but he thought it was a bit unfair when Pochettino decided to play Trippier instead of him in Spurs' final game at White Hart Lane. It was a 2-1 victory against Manchester United in May 2017.

Walker said that Pochettino made the decision to put him in the game very late, around the 84th minute. This was something that bothered him a lot.

"I had a sense of being in this place for an extended period of time. The location held a significant amount of personal importance for me."

Walker stated that Pochettino allowed him to depart the team in the summer of 2017, explaining that Trippier would be the preferred right-back option.

Nonetheless, the 34-year-old expressed positive feelings towards his ex-coach, stating that he harbors no ill will towards him. He went on to mention that he shows gratitude towards his coach by giving him hugs and cuddles whenever they meet.

In the podcast, Walker shared which coaches have given him the harshest criticisms throughout his professional career.

He mentioned that Roy Hodgson, who used to be the manager of the England team, was typically "very proper and courteous", but when he got angry, a different side of him would emerge.

He recalled a moment when the 77-year-old coach held the team after a bad game at Wembley for around 30 minutes, strongly criticizing them.

Walker also specifically mentioned former Tottenham coach Pochettino, noting, "If I had to choose someone who lost their cool, it would probably be him, simply due to his intense passion for the game."

"He was usually very relaxed, but if he got angry, he could suddenly change."

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