Kyle Walker has at last disclosed the genuine reason why football players often cover their mouths while talking on the field.
Kyle Walker has finally disclosed why footballers speak behind their hands on the pitch
Kyle Walker has finally addressed the long-standing question about why footballers talk into their hands during matches.
For years, fans have noticed players covering their mouths while communicating on the field and have speculated about the reasons behind this habit. Many have wondered if these conversations are truly significant.
Walker, the captain of Manchester City, shed light on the matter during his new podcast ‘You’ll Never Beat Kyle Walker’, co-hosted with former Love Island star and TV presenter Chris Hughes.
He revealed: “It’s so the cameras can’t see! You might be swearing or having a bit of banter. Maybe you saw the other player on a night out the week before, and you’re just having some fun, but it is what it is. In today’s world, everything… you’ve got lip-readers now. What is this world coming to?”
This year, a lip-reader interpreted an intense exchange between Walker and Brentford forward Neal Maupay during a Premier League match. According to lip-reader Jeremy Freeman, Walker threatened Maupay after a comment, telling the referee: “Ref, he spoke about my kids, he spoke about my kids. Not once, but twice.” Maupay responded, “I didn’t, it’s OK … That’s a lie, that’s not fair, I promise you.”
Additionally, there’s another reason players cover their mouths. PR consultant Phil Hall, who has worked with Premier League players and clubs, explained in 2023: “A player once told me that covering the mouth can amplify your voice in a noisy stadium. With the hand over the mouth, the sound is directed and clearer to the intended listener.”
Hall compared it to the NFL, where tactics can be deciphered by lip-readers, but noted that football isn’t as structured, so understanding opponent strategies through lip-reading is less impactful.
