Walker has taken the decision to call time on his Three Lions career, and he finishes with 96 caps to his name. While the wider football world celebrates his legacy, Burnley boss Scott Parker has been left to digest the news that his star defender is stepping away from the national team. Parker was quick to highlight the impact Walker has had on the international stage, noting that his absence will be a significant shift for the country. “His contribution to the Premier League still exists,” Parker said, as quoted by theBurnley Express. “But what he has given to England as well has been nothing short of remarkable. The amount of caps he's got, the level of quality that he's played at, the tournaments he's played in… he’s been a major focal point for us as a nation really.”
The Clarets manager believes that this decision will hopefully prove a blessing in disguise for Burnley’s survival hopes, as it allows Walker to preserve his energy during the grueling international windows. Discussing the player's choice to step back, Parker added: “The quality that he possesses we've seen over many, many years, but he’s decided to obviously make that decision and does so with our full blessing. He felt that was the decision he wanted to make and it gives him some time now obviously during international breaks and hopefully can help us as well in that.”