KYLE Walker admits he is still pinching himself as he looks around the dressing-room at his new team-mates. The 19-year-old right-back made his Tottenham debut against Portsmouth on Saturday, and he concedes that he is living the dream...

By Ben Pearce

KYLE Walker admits he is still pinching himself as he looks around the dressing-room at his new team-mates.

The 19-year-old right-back made his Tottenham debut against Portsmouth on Saturday, and he concedes that he is living the dream at White Hart Lane.

"It's great - top four! I never ever thought I'd be challenging for a Champions League place with a squad like this," said Walker (pictured).

"I mean, we've got the likes of Peter Crouch and Jermain Defoe - who I used to buy on Football Manager! It's mad but hopefully it carries on.

"It was good to get out, I've been itching to get out for ages and to finally be out on the pitch was great. It was a good game to get your debut, if you can say that, but hopefully the games will get harder for me so I can improve as a player.

"I just hope that the gaffer trusts in me now, and I can show him what I can do. I'm only 19 and all I want to do is keep improving and improving, and hopefully be the regular right-back here."

Walker has had a long wait for his debut, having joined Spurs from Sheffield United in July, along with Blades team-mate Kyle Naughton.

He was immediately loaned back to Bramall Lane, and made 28 appearances in the Championship in the first half of the season, while Naughton played three times at Spurs.

The pair swapped places at the end of January, with Walker finally arriving in N17 and Naughton returning to Sheffield for the second half of the campaign.

Now Vedran Corluka's ankle injury, sustained in last week's FA Cup quarter-final replay, has opened the door for the young defender.

"Fortunately I came back and there was only Charlie [Corluka] in front of me," he said. "When Naughts [Naughton] came here I think there was Alan Hutton and Charlie in front of him, which are two class players.

"I've just got to keep going, and keep going to the gym. There are some big guys here, some very big guys. In the Championship you can get away with it but not here. I need to keep working in the gym and hopefully fill out a bit more, and then it'll be fine.

"I just got a place in the area here last week so everything's going fine. I just want to crack on now."

You can see the full interview with Kyle Walker on Spurs TV, available via the club's website.