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Kyle Walker has expressed a surprising, yet welcome opinion for Manchester United fans.
The England international is currently on duty with Manchester City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where they play Brazilian side, Fluminense for the right to call themselves World Club Champions.
The Cityzens are also aiming to become the first English side to win the Premier League, FA Cup, Champions League, European Super Cup and Club World Championship in the same calendar year.
However, the stand-in City captain has claimed that his side does not compare to the great Manchester United or Liverpool sides of the past.
Speaking to The Daily Mail, the defender stated that despite the impressive achievements of his team, they do not yet match the other two North-Western powerhouses.
Walker stated, “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”.
The right-back also explained why Pep Guardiola’s side could not yet be described as the greatest team of the modern era.
The 33-year-old went on to say, “To go and do it like your Manchester Uniteds with your Ryan Giggs’ that have won 13 league titles. We take great pride in what we’ve done but for me, and we’ve won five in six years, to be recognised as one of the top clubs in the world we have to do it for a little bit longer”.
While no sensible fan would question the style and scale of the “noisy neighbours’” success, many United fans will feel uneasy with a comparison between the two historic treble-winning sides.
The way in which City have bought countless players and more specifically, their links to a Middle-Eastern state detracts from their success, at least according to the red side of the city.
Contrastingly, United’s 1999 vintage was a team full of academy products and British and Irish talent with a sprinkling of continental flair.
While it may irk his own fans, United supporters will have no complaints about the England international’s understanding of football history.