Kyle Walker has admitted he plans to retire from football when he feels he can no longer operate at a high level and says his Burnley move has been ‘mentally tough’.
The 35-year-old right-back is vastly experienced and won everything with Manchester City before joining the Clarets in the summer.
Walker recently announced his retirement from international football just three months before the World Cup, having been snubbed by Thomas Tuchel in recent England squad.
And he has admitted there are fears about what he will do after hanging up his boots for good.
Speaking on the Overlap brought to you by Sky Bet, he said: ‘I’m 36 in May, but I’m feeling good. It takes longer to recover; I can tell you that. One million percent. And probably now I’m probably doing a lot more defending than I’ve ever done in my career, but I feel good.
‘It’s more for me upstairs [referring to the mental side of football] and you fight your little battles in your head if you can keep doing it. I don’t want to tarnish what I’ve done but I also have a level of respect for myself that I’ll do it on my terms.
Kyle Walker says he wants to leave football before he is unable to play at the top level
‘I’m not letting outside noise reflect what I want to do as a footballer because it’s a short career and people don’t understand that.
He continued: ‘I don’t know if I’ll continue playing for a few more years. I feel once that time in my head comes where I’m done, I’d have to be true to myself. Leave the game before the game leaves you.
‘It’s been inherited in us from the age of six when I started. I never played grassroots. I played Sheffield United and that was it. Suddenly, if you take that away from me, what am I going to do? What do I go into? I’ve not done anything else in my whole entire life except football, so it’s a big part of me and to let it go, it’s hard. But sometimes you have to let it go when you’re not good enough anymore.’
Walker joined Burnley last summer for £5million and it has been a difficult campaign for Scott Parker’s men, who appear destined for the drop.
From the dizzy heights of City, the defender admits it has been tough to adjust, even though he has been warmly welcomed.
He added: ‘It’s been mentally tough going from Manchester City to Burnley. In your head, to be at the club that you’ve been, experience what you’ve experienced and playing with people that I’ve played with, and this is no disrespect to Burnley whatsoever and the players there, because I honestly think that they’re a bunch of young men that are fantastic.
‘The dressing room is class. I’ve never felt uncomfortable being there. The players welcomed me with open arms. That’s something that needs to stay there, because it’s a proper family-orientated club.
‘The Premier League is completely different to the Championship. On occasions, you can flutter through games in the Championship because you know you’ve got some of the best players in the league, but in the Premier League, you make a mistake and you get punished.
‘That’s where we’ve probably fell short this season in not turning up in some of the games where we need to probably collect the points.
Walker announced his England retirement last week after winning 96 caps for his country
‘But, also as well giving away stupid goals and situations what’s not really helped us out. As for a team and as for a club and an organisation, everyone’s been good [to me].’
Walker also named the club he would love to play for before he retires.
He came through at Sheffield United’s academy before securing a move to Tottenham and would love to return to the Blades.
‘I’d like to keep playing for another few years. It’s always been a dream to play for Sheffield United again,’ he went on.
‘To start there at six years old and then leaving at 19 – I spent so many incredible years there.
‘I hope to play for them again. I don’t know when that will be. I don’t know if they will want me.’
When Walker calls it a day, he’ll be remembered as one of England’s greatest defenders.
He earned 96 caps for England after making his debut in November 2011, and played under four managers – Fabio Capello, Roy Hodgson, Gareth Southgate, and Thomas Tuchel. He ranks 10th on England’s all-time men’s senior appearance list.
Walker last played for the Three Lions in their World Cup qualifier against Albania in March 2025, a 2-0 victory. He was dropped for Reece James for the following match against Latvia and hasn’t returned to the England squad since.
Walker won 17 trophies during his eight-year spell with Man City, where he has spent the bulk of his career.
