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Oct 23, 2026, 7:52 PM GMT+1
Hal is an experienced freelance sports journalist at GiveMeSport, having previously produced content for websites such as Goal, football.london, HertsLive, 90min, The Set Pieces and many others.
Hal picked up his MA in Sports Journalism and NCTJ qualification from St Mary's University Twickenham, Hal has since been part of Valnet since late 2021.
He started as a freelance football writer for This Is Futbol and carried that on over to FootballFanCast before becoming their social media editor. He now works as an editor for GiveMeSport, predominantly focusing on Premier League, Champions League, and English football.
He also helps GiveMeSport cover other major sports such as MMA, boxing, darts, tennis, and golf. Key events like the summer and winter Olympics are also highlights when they appear on the sporting calendar.
Hal is an Arsenal and Three Lions fan, but keeps an eye on the All Blacks, his favourite rugby team, having grown up in New Zealand.
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Kyle Walker has now spoken out again after causing a stir with his initial comments relating to former club Manchester City.
The English defender, now of Championship club Burnley, spent eight years at the Etihad between 2017 and 2025. During that time, he established himself as a club legend, winning six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, four League Cups, and the Champions League.
However, his legacy, as well as those of his teammates, may well now be tarnished. This is because Man City have been found guilty of breaking the Premier League's financial rules. While City have appealed the call, big sanctions are expected, such as titles being stripped.
Walker gave his thoughts on the guilty verdict while appearing on TalkSport this week, via ESPN. The 36-year-old has a tattoo which reads "4 in a row" – referring to City's streak of league titles from 2020-21 to 2023-24.
He was directly asked whether he would have a tattoo removed if his former side were stripped of their leagues. Walker was perhaps a little too candid, as he suggested he might have to:
"Well, I'm probably going to have to do that bit. I'll try and keep it on, but hopefully we don't get things taken away.
"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.
"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."
It's little wonder that the comments sparked quite a strong response online, with many Man City fans upset with the comments from a former club captain. Walker, who left for Burnley in 2025 after a brief loan spell with AC Milan, has since taken to social media to address the backlash.
He distanced himself from remarks in a statement on Instagram, which read:
"Just to clear up the misleading headlines today. I've never had any intention of removing my Manchester City tattoos.
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.
"I shared some unbelievable moments with some great teammates, people at the club and of course the City fans, who supported us throughout.
"Those memories will always stay with me. As will the tattoos."
While Walker has now nailed his colours to the mast, claiming he won't touch his tattoos, it will be very interesting to see how players react if Man City are stripped of any titles. The entire appeal process is said to take up to 12 weeks, at which point we will know if punishments can be expected.
Still, it's unclear as of yet what exact sanctions would be dished out if the appeal is unsuccessful.
Did it happen before or after?
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