Kyle Walker makes Man Utd & Liverpool comparison as Man City aim to match Club World Cup record

Kyle Walker has said the current Manchester City side still have a long way to go if they’re to be considered one of England’s greatest teams.

The Premier League and European champions could become the world champions on Friday night when City take on Fluminense in the final of the Club World Cup. City are aiming to win the crown for the first time and equal the tally of United, Liverpool and Chelsea in the competition.

But Walker claimed that matching United and Liverpool’s runs of domestic success would constitute a greater triumph, adding City are still in the ‘building blocks’ stage. The Red Devils claimed 13 league titles in the first 21 years of the Premier League, while Liverpool won 11 titles in 18 years across the ‘70s and ‘80s. It’s those sorts of records, Walkers says City must match.

“I don’t think we’ll be looked at differently for a good couple of years,” he told the Manchester Evening News, after City’s semi-final win over Urawa Red Diamonds on Tuesday. “To go and achieve what the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United did… they did it year in, year out for a number of years.

“So to be considered the best club in the world is a great achievement but the lads know that we’re just starting the building blocks for this club.

“To go and do it like your Manchester Uniteds with your Ryan Giggs' that have won 13 Premier Leagues. I’ve been involved in the Premier League since I was 19. I’m 33 now and I can assure you it’s a lot harder to win a Premier League than the Champions League.”

The England international has started 23 of City’s 26 matches this season, the highest in Pep Guardiola’s squad, but Walker’s form has earned criticism from some quarters in recent weeks, as part of a defence that went eight games without a clean sheet. The ex-Tottenham Hotspur full-back said he is aware of the attention he’s received but claimed people have ‘short memories’.

“I’m always going to get heat. If I’m not doing something right I’m always going to get scrutinised,” he said. "That’s been my whole career but it gives me the fire to keep going. You do see it and I’ve had a lot of criticism from the fans about me being captain and that it’s all my fault

“I get it [criticism] sent. It’s natural. I have got a mum and dad that care about me. They care about me and when their son is getting hammered. I just feel in football it’s fickle, [people have] short memories, short memories. Keep hammering me and I will just keep coming back.”