Kyle Walker-Peters says he is ready to replace Danny Rose if his teammate is sidelined.
Rose pulled out of England’s Nations League games with Croatia and Spain with a groin injury.
Despite not making any appearance this term, the 21-year-old believes he is the best man to slot in for his senior colleague.
An njury to Ben Davies effectively gifted Rose back his place on the left of Mauricio Pochettino’s defence.
The Englishman lost his spot in a similar fashion though and it seems he could gift it to a Spurs academy graduate.
As soon as Walker-Peters broke into the limelight last season, he was perceived as a possible internal replacement for Kyle Walker, who joined Manchester City for an initial £45m deal. His ability to bomb forward and link up with the attack as well as defend well is what has drawn comparisons between the two, who also have very similar names!
The Edmonton native had a mixed campaign, with chances taken at the beginning and end of the season but long periods of inactivity in between.
The 21-year-old made his Premier League debut against Newcastle on the opening day of the campaign after helping England clinch the FIFA U20 World Cup.
Serge Aurier’s arrival, however, meant Walker-Peters managed just four more appearances, three in the domestic cups.
Overall, he made seven appearances in all competitions but he is yet to taste first team action this season.
Walker-Peters featured in England Under-21s’ 7-0 romp against Andorra on Thursday and is hoping that would be the tonic to kickstart his campaign.
Although naturally right-footed, Walker-Peters is adept at both flanks, meaning he could efficiently slot in for Rose.
Much like the 28-year-old, the Londoner is defensively disciplined, sticking to a well-organised backline. He prioritises his defensive duties albeit possessing the ability to storm forward when the need arises.
With a passion for quick tempo, he exposes defenders with counter-attacking runs, often hogging the sideline to make the pitch as big as possible.
Similar to Rose, he regularly combines with his midfielders with quick one touch passes, enabling an attack to develop at a more effective rate.
Walker-Peters is blessed with innate pace, tracking to get back into position efficiently when coming back from offensive runs. He has a tendency for bursting into space and making overlaps ahead of his winger.
Above all, though, the Englishman has a high work rate. He is always prepared to give his optimum anytime he’s called upon.
Can he really replace Rose on the left side of defence, or should Spurs be looking at a winter signing?
