Kyle Walker makes Man City & Liverpool comparison with Man Utd treble-winners & Arsenal Invincibles

Kyle Walker has admitted that taking away Manchester United’s title as the only side to ever win the treble, is a huge motivation ahead of Saturday’s Champions League final.

Manchester City face Inter Milan in Saturday’s showpiece occasion in Istanbul, and are aiming to win just the second treble in the history of English football. Alex Ferguson’s 1999 side previously claimed the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League, and remain the only side to achieve that feat, although a City victory in Turkey would see Pep Guardiola’s men change that.

For Walker, he feels this City team should be considered among the greatest-ever Premier League sides, but admitted that until they win the biggest trophy of all, that will always be held against City.

“Of course [it’s motivation], I think that United team, along with the Invincibles, is probably up there with the best Premier League teams of all time,” claimed the City right-back.

“What us and Liverpool, to a certain extent, have done where we have been battling for the last number of years I think we should be in consideration - both teams as we both have fantastic players, but they have silverware and they have got the big Champions League trophy that we can never say we have got. For us to be in contention of talking around that we need to go and pick up this.

“It doesn’t define what this squad has achieved over the last six years, it doesn’t define us if we go on and win this or not,” Walker added. “It helps massively to say that we can be put in that category of probably one of the best Premier League teams of all time. We don’t win five Premier Leagues in six years if we are not a good team.

“We know we are a good team but to be recognised globally as one of the best teams you need to win the Champions League. We are not beating around the bush with that, we know this is now a great opportunity.”

For Walker, this is a second chance to win the trophy after the 202 final defeat to Chelsea. The 33-year-old played 90 minutes in Porto, on what remains a bruising experience for the City squad. Walker admitted it was difficult for him to see the victorious Chelsea players a few weeks later when the England squad met up for the Euro 2020 squad.

“We have a second chance definitely with Pep and the group of players who have stayed around. We need to put right the wrongs we did against Chelsea,” said the ex-Tottenham Hotspur man.

“I didn’t really have much time to get over it as I had to tune back into England and go and compete in a tournament for my country. It was hard seeing all the Chelsea boys there. You say congratulations to them because they are your team-mates now but it was tough but then I experienced a loss against Italy in the final and then I had to pick myself up again and get ready for the season.”