KYLE Walker-Peters revealed he has told injured Tino Livramento to “take his time” and avoid rushing back to fitness for Saints. The former Chelsea academy star looks set to miss at least the rest of 2022, but fellow right-back Walker-Peters admits he has encouraged him to not rush his recovery.
Kyle Walker-peters said: “I think he has shown everyone how good he is and to be able to do that at 18 is incredible. He’s had an incredible season and that’s what I said to him, take some time to relax. You’ve had a good season and you’ve shown everyone in the Premier League you can cope. He’s young and will want to rush back but I’ve told him to take his time.”
Livramento’s arrival as a teenager last summer saw Walker-Peters receive a shock benching – despite the youngster having only played 45 minutes of pre-season. The short cameo versus Athletic Bilbao – in which he assisted for Theo Walcott with one of his first touches of the ball in red and white – and what Livramento showed Ralph Hasenhuttl in training was enough for the Austrian to make up his mind.
Kyle Walker-Peters said: “Yeah it was (a surprise to be on the bench at Everton). I think it was a shock to most people but that’s football sometimes. The manager decided to go with the team that he wanted to go with that’s what he did for I think the first four games. You know, I had a few cameos where I came on but you know I had to keep my head down, keep working hard just like I’ve done my whole career. I’ve been in plenty of situations like that and I kept grinding it out and when I got the opportunities to play I showed them why I should be in the team. I think his arrival has allowed me to show everyone I can play left-back. It’s something I’ve always enjoyed doing. I’ve done it since I was in the academy at Tottenham, playing left-back. Through the England youth system, left-back so yeah it wasn’t too new to me but it was nice to be able to show everyone, you know, how versatile I am.”
