Kyle Walker-Peters' uncle Phil says family were so proud of Tottenham debut - 'even the Arsenal fans!'

Kyle Walker-Peters admitted to some nerves ahead of his Tottenham debut at Newcastle on Sunday, but it was nothing to how his family were feeling.

The 20-year-old’s father, Dennis, was at St James’ Park to watch his son’s man-of-the-match performance in the 2-0 win, which ended with a dressing-room speech in front of Mauricio Pochettino and his team-mates.

Back in London, Phil Walker - Kyle’s uncle and a former Millwall and Charlton midfielder - was watching with the rest of the family.

"We were more nervous than him," Walker said. "Kyle is quite a calm boy, he doesn’t seem to be fazed by much. He just took it in his stride.

"Dennis was very calm. You wouldn’t have realised that his son was making his debut for Tottenham. He’s always believed in him. He wasn’t fazed at all - much like Kyle.

"He was unbelievably proud. My brother doesn’t say much but you could see how proud he was.

"And the whole family - we’ve got a lot of Arsenal supporters but even they were happy to see Kyle play so well! We always thought that he was good enough. It was just about giving him the opportunity."

Proving that he is good enough has been the story of Walker-Peters’ remarkable summer. In June, he was still best-known as ‘the other Kyle Walker’ but he ended last week as a World Cup winner and a Premier League player. He has taken his chances.

When England boss Paul Simpson picked the right-footer at left-back in the final group game at the Under-20 World Cup, he was so impressive that he made the position his own for the rest of the tournament, playing a key role in England’s historic triumph.

When Spurs sold the other Kyle Walker shortly before their pre-season tour, Walker-Peters travelled to America determined to establish himself as the club’s deputy right-back.

And when injury sidelined Kieran Trippier, Walker-Peters did not look out of place in an assured and energetic Premier League debut.

Born in Edmonton, Walker-Peters grew up as a Spurs fan, joining them as a schoolboy with help from the other footballer in the family.

"I spoke to the former Millwall goalkeeper Bryan King, who was a scout for Tottenham at the time. They liked him. There were other clubs talking to my brother, so it all came together," said Walker, now a coach who runs the Phil Walker Skills School in London. "But when Kyle started at Tottenham, he wasn’t rated as one of the best players."

Initially an attacking midfielder, Walker-Peters lived with a host family, rooming with Milos Veljkovic, a Serbian player now with Werder Bremen who also went on to win the Under-20 World Cup.

Influenced by Veljkovic and his father, Walker-Peters developed a ruthless streak.

"Milos was competing against me and other players for a place in the team. You could see he had that mentality," Walker-Peters told FourFourTwo earlier this year.

"I felt I was trying to get the other players in my position out of the club. My dad was a big influence. He would always say, ‘there’s no friends in football, you can be friendly, but you’ll never have friends’. When I got to 16 I realised I had to be selfish."

He progressed quickly, earning international recognition with England Under-18s and Under-19s.

Dennis and his mother kept him focused off the pitch - "My school work came before my football," Waker-Peters said - and supported him on it.

"My brother went to every game possible," said Walker. "He knows how to handle things and in every situation he is able to teach Kyle. I didn’t have much influence on Kyle being a footballer - his father played the biggest part. Parents have to make so many sacrifices."

There have been hard times for Walker-Peters, including a broken leg, and offers to play first-team football elsewhere on loan, some rejected by him and others by Tottenham.

He has been training with Pochettino’s first team for 18 months, featuring in the last three pre-seasons and twice earning a spot on the bench last year.

"He’s kept the faith," Walker said. "It’s never been in his mind to think about leaving. My brother has spoken to his agent about going on loan, but he has always been a Tottenham supporter. He has always wanted to play for them."

As Walker-Peters acknowledged, there is still a long way to go. Walker believes he can improve his left foot and his attacking, and he is hoping the defender plays at Wembley on Sunday against Chelsea - the team he and Dennis grew up supporting.

"It’ll be a big occasion for me," Walker said. "But it’s different watching your nephew play. You just want your nephew to win."

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