I’ve talked Kyle Walker out of England retirement twice – Gareth Southgate
England’s coach, Gareth Southgate has revealed that he talked defender Kyle Walker out of international retirement twice.
Despite his advancing years, Manchester City’s Walker has remained England’s undisputed first-choice in the right-back position in spite of the talents in the English squad.
Days after he scored his first England goal in a 1-1 Euro 2024 qualifier draw against Ukraine in Wroclaw, Gareth Southgate has revealed that Kyle Walker could have retired from international duty without a goal for his country.
He told BBC Sport;
“I’ve talked him out of [international] retirement twice, after the Euros and after the World Cup. I think he loves being here and he’s wanted to keep going and now he’s thinking about how many caps can he get.
“He’s critical to us. If we’re talking about world-class players in their position in our team then he’s probably one of them. I think he didn’t realise how much value we have for him and how important he is for us. He’s probably not going to thank me for sharing that.”
Walker has enjoyed a good run of form of late and, when asked about his conversations with Southgate, he admitted the fierce competition in his position had led to him questioning his international future but is now fully committed to adding to his 77 caps.
He said;
“Yeah, I’m playing well. Obviously, in a moment, at the time that me and Gareth spoke, the likes of Trent (Alexander-Arnold), Tripps (Kieran Trippier), and Reece James coming through … you do think your days are numbered.
“And to sacrifice how many holidays and summers that I’ve sacrificed. I’ve been doing this since I was 19 (when) I joined the senior team. I’m 33 now.
“Me and Gareth have a good relationship off the field. We do speak and I feel that I can still bring something to the team. So why stop?”
Walker will soon celebrate his 12th anniversary as a full England international, having made his debut in a 1-0 friendly win over Spain in November 2011, nine months on from making the bench against Denmark.
The former Tottenham Hotspur man had already set up nine goals for his country before opening his Three Lions account in Wroclaw, which he described as a “relief”.
