Gareth Southgate reveals he has TWICE talked Kyle Walker out of retirement as England boss says Man...
Daily Mail Gareth Southgate has revealed he twice had to convince Kyle Walker not to retire from international football.
Walker, who scored his first goal for the national team in Saturdays 1-1 draw against Ukraine, has established himself as a key player for England during Southgates seven-year reign.
He played an integral role, alongside Harry Maguire and John Stones, as one of Englands three starting centre backs at the World Cup in 2018 before largely reverting back to his favoured right-back position for Euro 2020 and last years World Cup.
The Manchester City star, who has picked up 77 caps since making his debut in 2011, is widely recognised as one of the best players in his position in world football.
However, Southgate has disclosed that England came close to losing Walkers services on more than one occasion.
Ive talked him out of retirement from international football twice, said the England manager. After the Euros (in 2020) and after the World Cup (last year). I think he loves being here and hes wanted to keep going and now hes thinking about how many caps can he get.
