Walker reveals he went to hug Vinicius because 'he tried to rainbow flick me'

Kyle Walker revealed that the reason behind his embrace with Vinicius Junior at full-time in the Champions League semi-final first leg was because the Brazilian attempted to rainbow-flick him.

The competition down the attacking left for Real Madrid saw heavy billing as one of the most vital if Los Blancos are to get past Manchester City in the semi-finals, with Walker widely regarded among the world's leading right backs.

And with the Brazilian forward in red hot form - and having scored a stunning goal in the first leg - much of the questioning ahead of the return fixture centred around the upcoming clash.

However, following the game, the two shared a surprising embrace, wth both seemingly thrilled to see their counterpart, despite the tie being only halfway to completion.

But when asked for the reasoning behind their hug, Walker revealed that there was a hidden warning from him to his opponent, before claiming that the smiles would stop come the first whistle on Wednesday night.

'I went to hug him because he tried to rainbow flick me! I was like "please don't try that again and make me a meme",' Walker reveald.

'Boxers have a battle and shake hands after. You give the level of respect because they deserve it. Carrying a massive club like Real Madrid over the line in the Champions League, you show your respect.

'Tomorrow night, I'll give him the respect he deserves but before that is dog eat dog.'

Having already taken on the Brazilian for 90 minutes at the Santiago Bernabeu, Walker got a good look at what is to come on Wednesday night at the Etihad.

The 22-year-old has been one of the brightest performers across Europe this season, with 23 goals and 21 assists in 53 games all season, and Walker will be hard-pressed to keep his foe quiet.

But he remained confident with his chances, comparing the prospect to coming up against Kylian Mbappe for France at the World Cup, who was kept quiet in the quarter-final clash in Qatar.

'I take it as any other game, you have to show him respect,' the defender continued.

'Like Mbappe at the World Cup - you give them the respect they deserve. I'm representing City, the ambition for the club is massive.

'If I can't compete with these top players, I shouldn't be here. I need to make sure I come against the best and can deal with the best.'