Kyle Walker announced his retirement from international football via Instagram. He stated that playing for England was the greatest honor of his career and thanked teammates, coaches, and fans. Walker earned 96 caps for England, ranking 10th on England's all-time men's senior appearance list.
He played under four managers for England: Fabio Capello, Roy Hodgson, Gareth Southgate, and Thomas Tuchel. Walker's last England appearance was in a 2-0 World Cup qualifier victory against Albania in March 2025. He was dropped from the England squad for Reece James after his last appearance and hasn't returned.
Walker's retirement announcement comes three months before the summer World Cup, making him unavailable for coach Thomas Tuchel. Walker participated in major tournament matches including the 2018 World Cup semi-finals, which England lost to Croatia, the Euro 2020 final, which England lost to Italy, the 2022 World Cup quarter-finals, which England lost to France, and the 2024 European Championship final, which England lost to Spain. Walker attributes England's failure to win big games to a lack of mentality, comparing his experience at Tottenham, where he reached finals but lacked players who had won major trophies, to Manchester City, where experienced winners like Vincent Kompany and David Silva helped secure victories.
He cited the 2018 World Cup semi-final against Croatia as an example where England lacked players with championship experience like Mario Mandzukic, Ivan Perisic, and Luka Modric, who he says handle pressure differently due to their success. Walker noted that English players feel immense pressure from national support, referencing videos of fans celebrating wildly. He stated that losing the Euro 2020 final to Italy at Wembley hurt the most due to conceding a set-piece goal after a long streak without doing so, compounded by the magnitude of the game and a prior Champions League final loss.
Walker has played 96 international matches since his debut over ten years ago. Walker joined Burnley last summer after eight years at Manchester City. He spent spring 2025 on loan at AC Milan.
The specific factors that led to Kyle Walker being dropped for Reece James in the England squad have not been disclosed. How Kyle Walker's loan spell at AC Milan in spring 2025 impacted his career decisions remains unclear. Walker's future plans in club football after his international retirement have not been announced.
The reaction from England's current management or teammates to Kyle Walker's retirement announcement is not yet known.