Gareth Southgate had to talk Kyle Walker out of international retirement twice, the England manager has revealed, as he admitted the wing-back probably didn’t realise how much he is valued by the national team. The discussions happened after Euro 2020 and then again after the 2022 World Cup, where Southgate echoed Pep Guardiola in his desire to get the 33-year-old to stay.
Walker himself admitted that he had thought his “days were numbered” due to the range of right-backs coming through, as well as the fact that he had given up so many summers with international commitments. It was ultimately his good relationship with Southgate that saw him twice talked around.
