Super Eagles defender Ola Aina has said it wasn’t easy out-running Kyle Walker during Nottingham Forest’s Premier League clash against Manchester City a fortnight ago. The 27-year-old started the game as Forest succumbed to a disappointing defeat at the hands of Pep Guardiola’s side.
Despite holding their own for large spells, goals from Josko Gvardiol and Erling Haaland saw Nuno Espirito Santo’s side suffer a 2-0 defeat at home. While Forest were outplayed for much of the game, there was a rare moment of spark for the home fans when Aina and Kyle Walker got involved in a mini-race on the pitch.
Playing as a left wing-back against the Cityzens, Aina received a pass on his side of the pitch and decided to take Walker on. The Nigeria international bravely knocked the ball past the Manchester City right-back and then beat him to a race as both men tried to get to the ball first.
Aina eventually left Walker in his wake, carrying the ball from his own half into the opposition half before his intended pass to teammate Callum Hudson-Odoi was blocked.
Kyle Walker acknowledges Ola Aina’s pace
A video of Aina out-running Walker, who is widely regarded as one of the fastest players in the world, was shared by the Premier League on its X account, with many fans in awe of the Nottingham Forest man’s speed.
The Chelsea academy graduate has, however, always been pacey, having been clocked as the fastest player in the Serie A during his time with Torino. Opening up on racing Walker, Aina said it wasn’t as easy as it looked on the video.
The former England U-19 captain said the Manchester City defender acknowledged his speed afterwards, called him quick and said he had left him “flat-footed”.
“Even though that clip shows I got past him, it wasn’t as easy as it may have looked. I remember when it happened I saw him and thought: ‘I might as well just try it’ – and I put everything into it,” Aina told the Guardian.
“Afterwards he said something like: ‘you’re pretty quick’ and ‘you caught me flat-footed.’ But he was very chilled about it. He’s done the same thing to other players so many times.”
Aina loves playing against former club Chelsea
Meanwhile, Aina and Forest are aiming to beat the drop with just two matches left to the end of the season. Espirito Santo’s side currently occupy the 17th position on the Premier League table, just three points above the relegation zone.
One more win from their final two matches could guarantee them safety, but Forest have a tough test coming up next against Aina’s former club Chelsea. The Nigerian joined the Blues at eight and rose through their academy, where he won everything at the youth level, including the U-21 Premier League, FA Youth Cup (twice) and UEFA Youth League (twice).
With Forest set to host Chelsea at the City Ground on Saturday, Aina believes he would’ve thrived with the Blues if he was given enough opportunities as young players of today enjoy. The 27-year-old, however, said he has no regrets over how his career has panned out, adding that he loves to play against his former club.
“I don’t look at it like that. Things change in football all the time, and I think I just missed that era of young players being given more of a chance and breaking through as frequently as we’ve seen in the last few years,” Aina told the Guardian.
“But I feel things are meant to be and if I was meant to break through as a superstar youngster then I would have done it. I don’t look back on it with any regret or animosity.”
“I like playing against Chelsea and I still support them after being there for so many years. Everyone has got their opinions about how things are going for them but this is a new era and it’s not always easy to maintain that level of success.”
Aina has played 21 Premier League matches this season while contributing a goal and an assist. The Nigeria international has been a reliable presence in Forest’s relegation battle as they aim to preserve their Premier League status.
