Kyle Walker Harbours Slightly Weird Secret Soup-Based Hero Worship Love For Phil Jagielka

Chris Wright

11th, October 2012

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By Chris Wright

“After we’re done here, the soup’s on me”

With England’s defence being depleted for the San Marino qualifier against San Marino on Friday evening to the tune of Ryan Bertrand (pulled out with a sore throat – apparently England don’t travel with a bottle of Calpol 6+ in the first aid kit) and the suspended Glen Johnson, there’s every chance that Kyle Walker may line up alongside Phil Jagielka at the back.

You may think nothing of that, but it has come to Pies’ attention that Phil Jagielka is Kyle Walker’s hero. Like, properly. We’re talking ‘soup level’ hero worship here people. Jags – who played 250-odd times for Sheffield United, the club Walker supported as a bairn – is the wind beneath his wings, if you will.

Walker told the PA:

“Phil Jagielka was a hero of mine. I didn’t have a poster of him in my room or anything like that. I wasn’t that bad. But I’ve never told him. I hope his head doesn’t grow too big, but just to eat dinner with him is an honour for me.

“Sometimes he tries to go and get me some soup. Instinctively I say: ‘You can’t be getting me that. Let me get you some soup’!”

Turns out Walker was also the ballboy behind the goal where Jagielka made his famous goalkeeping debut for The Blades, replacing the injured Paddy Kenny for the last 34 minutes of the game and denying Robin van Persie with a textbook save in a 1-0 win over Arsenal in 2006:

“Yes, I was the ball-boy, I was behind the net and he kept on telling me to slow down! So I have definitely seen some sights with him!”

Awww. Such a cute couple.