Kyle Walker Told Pep Guardiola He Never Wanted Him As Captain While Pep Was Criticising Him For Being Captain

Kyle Walker accused Pep Guardiola of repeatedly singling him out during Manchester City’s worst run under the manager, before pointing out that Guardiola had never wanted him to be captain in the first place.

Previously unseen footage from Prime Video documentary A Beautiful Obsession shows the pair arguing in the Anfield dressing room after City’s 2-0 defeat by Liverpool in December 2024. The result came during a run in which Guardiola’s side lost nine of 12 matches.

Walker complained that his name was being brought up in virtually every team meeting and felt he was being blamed disproportionately for City’s problems. Guardiola responded that there was a fairly obvious reason why more responsibility was being placed on him.

He was the captain.

Walker had been elected to the role by his Manchester City teammates, rather than appointed directly by Guardiola, and claimed during the argument that his manager had never wanted him to have the position. Guardiola told Walker he was taking the criticism too personally while maintaining that being captain brought additional responsibility.

It left City with an unusual disagreement over leadership.

Guardiola wanted more from Walker because the players had chosen him to lead them. Walker’s response was that Guardiola himself had never particularly wanted him doing the leading.

The argument came at one of the lowest points of Guardiola’s City career. The manager became emotional while explaining to his players that he had recently extended his contract because he wanted to remain with the squad and fight through their poor run rather than walk away.

Walker’s own future at the club moved in the opposite direction soon afterwards. He played only three more matches for City before telling Guardiola he wanted to explore a move abroad, eventually joining AC Milan on loan for the remainder of the season.

The documentary later shows Guardiola frustrated by his captain’s decision to leave while City were struggling, even questioning why the players who had voted Walker into the role had not done more to persuade him to stay.

Manchester City’s players had chosen their captain.

Guardiola then expected him to behave like one.

Walker remained unconvinced that Guardiola had ever wanted him to be one.