Kyle Walkerplaceholder image
Kyle Walker | Getty Images
The latest England squad has been announced and Burnley defender Kyle Walker has found out his fate as the World Cup next summer gets closer.
England manager Thomas Tuchel has selected his England squad and has left out Kyle Walker for the double-header this month, despite his consistent minutes for Burnley in the Premier League, in favour of more youthful options.
The German boss has picked Chelsea’s Reece James, Manchester City’s Nico O’Reilly, Tottenham Hotspur’s Djed Spence and potentially Newcastle United’s Dan Burn as his full-back options, leaving no space to recall Walker, who will want to reach a century of England caps as he currently stands at 96.
The 35-year-old defender has featured in all 10 of the Clarets’ Premier League games this season but has not done enough to convince Tuchel that he can bring something to the squad at this current time. However, there is still time for Walker to convince the new England manager that he still has the ability to contribute at a major tournament, with another international window coming in March.
Former Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford has also not been selected for the squad for the games against Serbia and Albania this month after being named as one of three goalkeepers for the October internationals. Trafford made the move from Turf Moor back to his boyhood club, Manchester City, in the summer, but has been displaced as number one between the sticks by the experienced Italian shotstopper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
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Kyle Walker on his hope for a century of England caps
Kyle Walkerplaceholder image
Kyle Walker | Getty Images
The Champions League-winning defender, who has represented his national team on the biggest stages, including Euro finals, previously spoke earlier this season about his hope to achieve 100 England caps. “There’s so much more to achieve. 100 caps is definitely one, I’m only four caps off,” he told Sky Sports. “Honestly, I’m quite content now with 96. Being left out of the last squad, if it was 96 and out, it’s kind of like: ‘okay, I gave it a good bash, I gave it all I could’.
“Having retired after the Euros [in 2021] to coming back and playing in another two tournaments, I know I gave it a good go.
“After Wembley, after experiencing the Champions League final loss against Chelsea, then coming back to play for your country and three weeks later to lose a European Championships final at Wembley, I was done with it. I don’t need any more heartache. It was the worst moment of my career, by far.
“To get so close in the Champions League to lose to Chelsea, being a former Tottenham player as well, that hurt even more. Then to go and represent your country and to get to the final, without conceding a single set-play goal for god knows how long, to then concede from a set play and lose on penalties, it’s the flip of a coin…
“I also look back, being the person I am, as a senior player could I have stepped up and taken a penalty? But I believe each and every one of them that took a penalty is a better penalty taker than me. “But after what I saw afterwards, I would have rather the heat be on me than them, because they were too young to go through that.”
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