“I was nervous” – Kyle Walker explains Pep Guardiola’s 2023 Champions League final speech request | OneFootball

Former Manchester City defender Kyle Walker has explained Pep Guardiola’s ask of him giving a speech ahead of the 2023 UEFA Champions League final.

City won narrowly over Inter Milan in Istanbul to be crowned European champions as they secured a historic treble – having won a third Premier League title on the bounce and defeated Manchester United in the FA Cup final that year.

The Blues forewent years of agony in the UEFA Champions League by going all the way to secure their premier crown in the competition, defeating RB Leipzig, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid in the knockout stages en route to the final versus Inter.

Guardiola raised eyebrows with his starting XI as he fielded four centre-halves – Ruben Dias, Manuel Akanji, Nathan Ake and John Stones – and left Walker on the bench.

Walker: Guardiola asked me to do pre-Inter speech

In a recent conversation with Gary Neville for The Overlap, Walker has given some insight into how Guardiola snubbed him from the starting XI yet requested the 35-year-old to motivate his teammates ahead of the all-important final in Istanbul.

“Pep Guardiola explained to me why he left me out of the (2023) Champions League final (starting XI). He pulled me aside and told me I wasn’t playing because he wanted the back four,” Walker said.

“I understood but he asked me to do the speech in the dressing room before. The reason why he wanted me to make a speech is a thing that probably he’s made up in his head he thinks is going to motivate the lads.”

Walker was asked specifically what he said in his speech before the European cup final. “I don’t know,” the full-back added. “What did I say? ‘My dream is in your hands now’. I was nervous but something I’ve dreamed of!”

Walker’s role at City over the years

There is a major divide among the Manchester City fanbase over Walker’s time at the club, particularly his role as club captain for 18 months – from him signing a two-year contract in 2023 and turning down a move to Bayern Munich to leaving the Blues midway through a challenging 2024-25 season for a short-term loan at AC Milan.

Walker has gone on record in previous interviews to relay his regret over leaving Manchester City and Guardiola in a dire personnel crisis for his own personal interests, having lost his place in the starting XI at the Etihad Stadium.

However, it is testament to the Sheffield-born star’s selflessness and camaraderie that he responded like a leader to being excluded from the lineup for the 2023 UEFA Champions League final and rallied his teammates to go and finish the job.

Moreover, Walker came off in the second-half in Istanbul and helped see a one-goal lead through after Ballon d’Or winner Rodri scored arguably the most important goal in Manchester City history in the 68th minute of the final.