da dobrowin： After Spurs clinched the signing of promising full-back duo Kyle Naughton and Kyle Walker from Sheffield United back in 2009, it seemed the only way was up for the pair, but in the intervening seasons, one has fared a damn sight better than the other in what really is a tale of the two Kyles.
da bwin： Kyle Naughton looked all but set to clinch a move to Everton in the summer of 2009, before an £11m joint bid for both him and Walker galumphed the Toffees and they sealed their respective moves to Spurs – a switch Naughton may regret now.
Naughton forced his way into the Blades starting line-up in the 2008/9 season and displayed a maturity to his play that surprised many observers. His excellent form throughout the campaign meant he sealed a place in the Championship PFA Team of the Year at the end of the season. Capable of playing at right midfield as well as right back, Naughton was shifted to left back upon the younger Walker’s emergence to the Blades first-team squad in their eye-catching play-off run.
However, Naughton found his route into the starting eleven at White Hart Lane blocked after his move, with the likes of Alan Hutton and Vedran Corluka the preffered choices.
Sensibly, for a young player biding his time, he was farmed out on loan to Middlesbrough in the January transfer window last season, making 15 league appearances and so far this term, he’s been a regular at Leicester since his loan switch with 17 league appearances to his name. But, having just turned 22 years old, it’s fair to say that Naughton wouldn’t have envisaged himself plying his trade back in the Championship by this point in his career.
Contrast Naughton’s story with that of fellow former Blade Kyle Walker, and the difference is startling. Walker was relatively unknown compared to Naughton when they completed their moves to Spurs, having only forced his way into the Blades starting line up due to injuries in their run to the Playoff Final in 2009.
A loan move back to Sheffield United immediately upon completing his permanent switch to Spurs was secured and with little competition for the right back berth now with Naughton out of the picture, he started 26 league games last season for Sheffield United.
Powerfully built and with a great turn of pace, Walker is a completely different player to Naughton, and some would say, more suited to the rigours of the Premier League. While he may not be as versatile as Naughton, that may have been to his benefit so far in his fledgling career.
A loan move to Championship pacesetters QPR was sealed this season after impressing at his hometown club Sheffield United last term and fans of English football’s second tier were regularly treated to his rampaging runs down the right hand flank as Walker began to catch the eye with a string of man-of-the-match performances.
When his spell at QPR expired, under-pressure Aston Villa manager Gerard Houllier sprang a surprise by signing Walker on loan until the end of the season from Spurs. His top flight experience is so far minimal, but he’s already scored a goal on his debut against his former club Sheffield United in the FA Cup third round and a fantastic strike in the Premier League against Fulham.
He’s taken to the top flight like a duck to water so far and was named in Fabio Capello’s England squad for the recent friendly against Denmark. At just 20 years of age, Walker appears to be held in higher esteem at Spurs and in the wider footballing community than Naughton is at the moment.
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A lot of this comes down to the success of their respective loan moves. Naughton missed the first full six months of last season sat on the bench or featuring for the reserves at Spurs. It was only after clinching a move to Middlesbrough in January, a team that has rather surprisingly struggled to come to terms with life in the Championship over past 12 months or so after former manager Gordon Strachan‘s Old Firm experiment went terribly wrong, that Naughton was able to start playing week in week out once more.
Leicester have also undergone a rapid turnaround from last season, and although both of the sides that Naughton has joined are big sides expected to trouble the playoffs at the end of the season, both have collectively under performed ensuring that he’s been kept out of the limelight up until now.
Walker has been fortuitous enough to have enjoyed a fantastic loan spell at Championship leaders QPR, managed by former Sheffield United boss Neil Warnock. QPR have fostered a great team spirit so far this campaign, built around the exploits of mercurial midfielder Adel Taraabt and they look all but certain to achieve promotion to the top tier this season.
The success of his QPR spell has snowballed into recognition from the top flight, which in turn has brought recognition from England too. Of course, Naughton is still a regular with the Stuart Pearce’s under 21 side, but unfortunately they do not garner the same media attention.
The difference in age between the pair is around 18 months, and in the last 18 months both players’ careers have taken strikingly diverging paths. Walker’s career appears to be on the up and he could well be starting for Spurs at right back next term if he keeps up his form at Aston Villa, with many Spurs fans remaining unconvinced about Alan Hutton’s pedigree for the position in the long-term.
Naughton’s career has stalled somewhat over the past year or so, but the resurgence at his current club Leicester under former England coach Sven Goran Eriksson is worth looking at. Their steady climb up the table now sees them occupy 8th place in the league, just four points from sixth placed Leeds in the playoff positions, with Naughton’s form excellent along the way.
Naughton’s deal has been extended until the end of the season by Sven and Naughton could yet be toasting a triumphant return to the top flight with promotion with loan club Leicester, but for now, Walker remains in pole position for a starting place at Spurs in the future. The irony that the senior Kyle’s route into the first-team at his parent club could be blocked by his Sheffield United understudy won’t be lost on Naughton and the tale of the two Kyles looks set to turn into the battle of the two Kyles at Spurs next season.
What does everyone else think – Will Walker and Naughton be given a far shot at Spurs next season? Who will win the battle for the right back slot at Spurs assuming Redknapp will seek to replace Alan Hutton?