Kyle Walker relishing role leadership role as elder statesman in England squad

Planet Sport writer
17 October 2023

England fullback Kyle Walker is enjoying his role as one of the senior leaders among the squad and hopes to continue playing international football "forever".

The 33-year-old is in arguably the form of his life after helping Manchester City win the treble last season.

Despite entering the twilight of his career, Walker remains a mainstay of an England side that can seal Euro 2024 qualification with two games to spare with a draw or better against Italy at Wembley on Tuesday night.

Provided he remains fit, Walker is all but guaranteed a spot in Gareth Southgate’s squad next summer after the England manager revealed last month he twice had to convince the right-back to rethink international retirement.

Now he is firmly on the scene for the foreseeable future, Walker insists he does not intend to step away any time soon.

“I’m going to keep going forever,” he replied with a smile when asked about his plans.

“Nothing changed,” he later added to BBC Radio 5Live.

“When you’ve been to major tournaments and you’ve got there and you’ve nearly got there and maybe I said things that (were based) more on emotion than thinking about it.

“When the time is right, the time will be right, and I will retire. It’s going to happen because I’m not getting any younger. But I still feel great when I feel that I can offer something to the team on and off the field.

“I think that I’ve got probably the toughest task in the squad with the calibre of players that are right alongside of me with Trent (Alexander-Arnold), Tripps (Kieran Trippier), Reece James, Ben White, (Aaron) Wan-Bissaka.

“There is a lot in this team that we could all step in and do well, so sometimes the old guard has to get off the throne and give it to the new ones – but I still feel great.”

Part of the reason Walker is keen to extend his 12-year senior England career is to continue the integration of young players into a squad that has changed in its approach since his first camp in 2011.

“As for retirement, it was just a decision that I’ve been doing this since I was 19,” he added.

“It’s a lot of summers, it’s a lot of time away from the children, it’s a lot of time away from home. And I’m not getting any younger.

“But I did speak with the manager and he wanted me to be a part of this team and more importantly I wanted to be a part of it. Because it’s a special group of lads. I’ve been here when it was tough to come to England.

“Obviously to represent your country is always going to be an honour, but those days when you’re in the hotels and no-one talks to you, it was hard.

“So to come here and to share the moments that we have done with these players, even though we have fallen short, it’s been enjoyable.

“I would hate for any of the younger ones to come up and feel they couldn’t speak to any of the experienced ones. I know there’s no hierarchy.

“There is an environment, me being the oldest I try to put that on to anyone. If I was to see it (a hierarchy), I wouldn’t have it, because you want to feel that it’s an honour already to play for your country and you want to enjoy it, you don’t want to come here and feel like it is a chore.”

Walker watched from the Wembley stands on Friday night as some of those aforementioned youngsters were given a chance to shine in a 1-0 friendly win over Australia.

“I think the performance that they put on, the XI that got put out there had not played that many times,” he told talkSPORT.

“I think the manager said it was probably one of the fewest-capped England teams that has been fielded so to show the level of maturity and the level of performance and standards that we did – for me, sat back as the proud dad, I was very proud of them!

“That’s the levels that we have brought into this, whoever comes in or steps into the shoes, they do well and that’s what we want to keep breeding.”