Kyle Walker makes tattoo vow if Man City are stripped of Premier League titles

Kyle Walker has admitted he may have to remove his Manchester City tattoo if the club are stripped of the Premier League titles commemorated by his tribute. The former City captain had their historic four successive league triumphs between 2021 and 2024 inked onto his leg. He collected six Premier League winners' medals during eight seasons at the Etihad after arriving from Tottenham in 2017. City are appealing an independent panel's financial rules verdict, with the possibility of losing silverware hanging over the club. Walker was asked on talkSPORT whether his tattoo would have to go should those championships be taken away. "I'm probably going to have to do that," he said. "But you look at the likes of the great Man United squad, and they never managed to get four in a row. So there's only a select few of us that can say that we won four. "I'll try and keep it on, but hopefully we don't get the things taken away." The defender, now playing for Burnley in the Championship, remained fiercely protective of the players responsible for City's success. While acknowledging how the situation looks beyond the dressing room, Walker insisted their performances deserved recognition. "As a player, all I can say is that all we did is go out and play our best football as a team and I will defend the players for the rest of my life," he continued. "I feel that what we achieved in that space of time was probably incredible and probably won't be done ever again. LATEST SPORTS NEWS: Michael Carrick and Bruno Fernandes fire shots at each other after woeful Man Utd thrashed by Como Mark Allen issues emotional statement confirming he spent time in a mental health clinic Mikel Arteta gives alarming Bukayo Saka injury update after Arsenal battle to Bayern Munich draw "From the outside looking in, it doesn't look great and we have to address that." The Daily Mail have reported that City face a potential points deduction severe enough to send them into the Championship. Whether any titles will be removed remains unresolved, while the club maintain their innocence and are challenging the panel's findings. According to the Premier League's account of the verdict, City used arrangements with commercial partners to overstate income and understate expenditure between 2009 and 2018. The league says the combined distortion amounted to £900million, enabling spending beyond the limits that accurately reported finances would have permitted. It says sponsorship agreements were partly financed by Abu Dhabi United Group Investment & Development Ltd, the club's owner, rather than entirely by the named sponsors. Other arrangements allegedly reduced the expenses shown in City's accounts. The panel also found breaches relating to co-operation with the investigation, according to the league. Walker joined City for £45m and became captain after their Treble-winning 2022/23 campaign, establishing himself as a key figure during their sustained success. He had already acknowledged earlier this month that the controversy was an uncomfortable subject for former team-mates. "It's something we don't want to talk about because we want to be looked upon as winning them trophies, winning them the right way," he said. City return to action against Aston Villa on Saturday (12.30pm). Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter