Tears all round when Spurs sacked Villas-Boas - Walker

Kyle Walker says erstwhile Tottenham head Andre Villas-Boas "started crying successful beforehand of us" erstwhile he was sacked by president Daniel Levy successful December 2013.

The Manchester City defender, who spent 8 years astatine Spurs betwixt 2009-17, described his erstwhile head arsenic "so, truthful nice," connected nan latest section of nan You'll Never Beat Kyle Walker podcast.

Walker says he will "never, ever forget" nan infinitesimal Villas-Boas addressed his Spurs squad pursuing his sacking, revealing that members of nan squad besides collapsed down successful tears.

"I've sewage tears moving down my eyes... Michael Dawson is welling up," said nan 34-year-old. "That's really overmuch he meant to nan lads."

Portuguese head Villas-Boas took complaint of Spurs successful July 2012 and almost guided nan nine to nan Champions League successful his first play - finishing conscionable 1 constituent down fourth-placed Arsenal successful nan Premier League.

Spurs' squad that twelvemonth included 2012-13 PFA Player of nan Year, Gareth Bale.

The Wales prima made a then-world grounds £85.3m move to Real Madrid successful nan summertime of 2013 and, contempt reinvesting successful nan squad, nan squad struggled nan pursuing season.

After a drawstring of mediocre results, a chastening 5-0 conclusion by Liverpool successful December 2013 saw Villas-Boas fixed his marching orders.

Walker says he regrets nan truth nan squad did not execute good capable to support their head successful his job.

"Bale was a massive, monolithic loss," he said. "They signed 7 players disconnected nan backmost of nan Bale money. There's a batch of changes location and we conscionable ne'er really gelled successful clip for him [Villas-Boas] to past do well."

Despite nan truth that nan squad "didn't do him justice", Walker says of his erstwhile boss, "for 10 aliases 12 men to beryllium crying because nan manager's gone, he's done thing good successful nan dressing room".

Walker besides said connected nan podcast astir his narration pinch erstwhile Spurs manager, Mauricio Pochettino.

He had been a stalwart for Tottenham, but during his last play he faced title astatine right-back from chap England world Kieran Trippier.

He said he has nan "utmost respect" for Trippier, but felt it was "a small spot of a debased blow” erstwhile Pochettino opted to commencement nan erstwhile Burnley defender up of him for Spurs' past ever crippled astatine their erstwhile ground, White Hart Lane - a 2-1 win against Manchester United successful May 2017.

"He [Pochettino] brought maine connected at, like, 84 minutes aliases thing for illustration that," said Walker. "That's nan 1 point that really wounded me.

"I conscionable felt that I've been present for truthful long. That crushed really meant truthful overmuch to me."

Walker said Pochettino gave him support to time off nan nine successful nan summertime of 2017 aft telling him Trippier would beryllium his first prime right-back.

However, nan 34-year-old said he "doesn't person a bad connection to say" astir his erstwhile coach and that, "I opportunity convey you and whenever I spot him, I springiness him a hug and a cuddle and that's it".

During nan podcast, Walker revealed which managers person delivered nan astir terrible tellings-off during his career.

He said erstwhile England head Roy Hodgson was mostly "very general and polite" but that "when he mislaid it, thing other would travel out".

He remembered 1 clip erstwhile nan 77-year-old kept nan squad backmost "for astir half an hour" aft a mediocre capacity astatine Wembley, "just hammering us".

Walker besides singled retired erstwhile Tottenham head Pochettino, saying: "If I was going to opportunity personification who mislaid it, I'd astir apt opportunity him conscionable because of really passionate he was astir nan game."

"He was rather calm, but erstwhile he mislaid it, he could flip," he added.