Kyle Walker scored his first England goal on Saturday night in the 1-1 draw with Ukraine, and Gareth Southgate has revealed that he has talked the Manchester City defender out of international retirement on two occasions.
Kyle Walker Talked Out Of International Retirement Twice By Southgate
The 33-year-old considered walking away from the national team after Euro 2020 and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, but was talked out of it by Southgate both times.
Walker scored his first goal for his country on Saturday night against Ukraine in what was his 77th cap for England.
🏴 Incredible vision from Harry Kane 🪡#EQskills | @HisenseSports pic.twitter.com/fr9Gb2f203
— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) September 9, 2023
“I’ve talked him (Kyle Walker) of retirement twice, after the Euros and after the World Cup” said Southgate.
“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 made his international debut under Fabio Capello back in 2011, but has played the majority of his football for England since Southgate’s appointment in 2016.
The former Spurs and Sheffield United defender could make his 78th international cap on Tuesday. England face Scotland at Hampden Park in a friendly to mark the 150 year anniversary of the Scottish FA.
READ MORE: Scotland vs England Head-to-Head Stats Suggest Another Tough Match For Three Lions
Related Football Content
- How Many Games Are In A Premier League Season? The Total Matches Played Over 9 Months
- When Does The 2023/24 Premier League Season End? Date For Final Weekend Fixtures
- When Did Arsenal Last Win The Premier League?
- How Many Premier League Managers Were Sacked Last Season?
- When Does The 2023 Premier League Summer Transfer Window Close? Deadline Day Date
- Football Betting Tips 2023 – Latest Picks & Football Tips
- Football Predictions August 2023
- Football Accumulator Tips 2023 – Latest Acca Betting Tips
- Best Correct Score Tipsters on Telegram & Social Media 2023
Add Sportslens to your Google News Feed!
