- Kyle Walker used an Instagram story to say he has “never had any intention” of removing his Manchester City tattoos, after joking about it on talkSPORT.
- The radio comments came as City appeal a guilty verdict from an independent commission over breaches of Premier League financial rules.
- Walker won 15 major trophies at City, including six Premier League titles, and has “4 in a row” tattooed on his leg.
From Radio Joke to Instagram Denial
Kyle Walker has moved quickly to shut down a story that grew out of his own joke. The Burnley defender wrote on his Instagram story: “Just to clear up the misleading headlines today. I’ve never had any intention of removing my Manchester City tattoos.”
The headlines followed Walker’s turn as co-host of talkSPORT Drive on Wednesday. Co-host Andy Goldstein raised the subject of City’s appeal against their guilty verdict, then asked the question: “If they take the medals away have you got a tattoo removal firm ready to take that one?”
Walker laughed. “Well I’m probably going to have to do that bit!” he said. “But you look at the likes of the great Man United squads [that won three in a row], and they never managed to get four in a row. So there’s only a select few of us that can say that we’ve got four.” He later added: “I’ll try and keep it on, but hopefully we don’t get things taken away.”
On Instagram, the 36-year-old struck a warmer tone. “My time at City was a huge part of my career and journey as a player, and something I’ll always be incredibly proud of,” he wrote. He thanked the City fans “who supported us throughout” and finished with a line that settled the matter: “Those memories will always stay with me. As will the tattoos.”
Why the Tattoo Is Part of the Story
Walker spent eight years at City, from 2017 to 2025, and won 15 major trophies, six of them Premier League titles. Four of those titles came in a row, from 2020-21 to 2023-24, a run no other Premier League side has matched, according to talkSPORT. Walker had the words “4 in a row” inked on his leg to mark it.
City were found guilty by an independent commission of breaching Premier League financial rules over a nine-season period, and the club have appealed. talkSPORT reports that City were adjudged to have inflated revenue by £900million through “sham” contracts between 2009 and 2018, and that the club won eight trophies in that window, three of them league titles. Speculation about the punishment includes a heavy points deduction and the loss of titles, though talkSPORT says it is not clear when or how City will be sanctioned if the appeal fails.
Football finance expert Stefan Borson has warned the process could run slowly, with talk that a sanction hearing will run alongside the appeal.
What Walker Said About the Case
Walker did not dodge the wider question on the radio. “It’s the big elephant in the room that we’re probably all going to be asked when we’re doing interviews or whatever we’re doing,” he said. “It doesn’t look great. Let’s not hide from the fact that they’ve been found guilty but they’re going through an appeal.”
He defended the players who won the trophies. “As a player all I can say is that all we did is go out and play our best football as a team and that I’ll defend the players for the rest of my life,” Walker said. He called what the squad achieved “probably incredible” and said it “probably won’t be done ever again”.
He also accepted that the club has questions to answer. “From the outside looking in, it doesn’t look great and we have to address that,” he said.
The Instagram post settles the tattoo question. The appeal is still unresolved.