Pep Guardiola via Reuters/Violeta Santos Moura
Over the years, England have produced some brilliant defenders. Bobby Moore is perhaps the most iconic, while more recent players like Ashley Cole, Rio Ferdinand and John Terry were all among the best on the planet during their prime years.
The Three Lions could have used some legends like that in the backline at the 2026 World Cup, as Thomas Tuchel's men were knocked out by Argentina, losing 2-1 in the semi-finals. Indeed, injury issues in particular meant the fullback area was weaker than anticipated.
The likes of Reece James and Tino Livramento both suffered injuries which kept them from playing at right-back, while Jarell Quansah picked up a red card, which saw him miss the quarter-final win vs Norway and the Argentina defeat. In light of all this, one former England defender has admitted he now regrets retiring from international duty when he did.
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Kyle Walker Regrets England Retirement Before World Cup
kyle walker england
For over a decade, Kyle Walker was a key part of the England set-up. He was capped 96 times, scoring one goal and picking up 10 assists. At Euro 2020, he was named in the Team of the Tournament as the Three Lions made it to their first final in a major tournament since 1966. He was also vice-captain of the Euro 2024 team, which once again made it to the final but lost.
In March 2026, however, Walker announced his retirement from international football. This meant he would not play at the 2026 World Cup, but he has now expressed regret over his decision to call it quits early.
Explaining how he might have had a chance to play for his country one last time at the summer tournament, he told TalkSport:
"I think I do regret it, looking in hindsight and there's a potential place for me in this World Cup squad.
"I look at it now and obviously with Reece and Tino's recent injuries, maybe I could have got the shout. But when I had the conversation with England, that was not an opportunity I was going to get.
"Obviously not playing the couple of friendlies prior to the tournament, I knew from that moment on that they were taking that set of lads to the World Cup."
Walker revealed that he was frustrated by Tuchel's lack of an explanation when he stopped getting call-ups to the team. Although the German initially phoned him to confirm he had been dropped, he didn't make any further contact as the right-back realised he was going to fall four caps short of the 100-game mark.
"You dedicate a lot of your summers," Walker began. "I started in 2010. That's 16 summers I gave up, rightly so, for my country. And I wanted to do that because that's the pinnacle of a footballer's career. But I feel a conversation would have been good.
"Not after the first time because he (Tuchel) phoned me, which is fair play to him, and said I wouldn't be in the squad. The second time, I don't deserve a conversation, he already spoke to me.
"But after the third or fourth one and it's getting closer to the tournament, I think that someone should have picked up the phone to me and just had an explanation of why I'm not getting these caps. Especially getting to 100 and being so close."
Kyle Walker warms up for England
Kyle Walker warms up for England
Walker Dubbed 'One of the Greatest'
Kyle Walker
Walker had a brilliant top-flight career, playing for the likes of Tottenham and Aston Villa before enjoying his best years at Manchester City. Under Pep Guardiola, he won six Premier League titles, the Champions League, two FA Cups and the League Cup on four occasions.
Having shone for so long at the Etihad, Guardiola would laud the defender as 'one of the greatest full-backs ever'. When the Catalan coach was asked if Walker deserved to be compared with the very best full-backs to have played the game, he agreed, adding:
“Absolutely, one of the greatest full-backs ever. You have to control that side with wingers, I slept like a baby before games with Kyle there. He can handle top, top-class wingers in the world. “We always tried to help him with the ball to read a situation and he was a better player than maybe he thought. My target from day one was, ‘You are good, Kyle, with your long balls and the quality of your pass and everything’. He was an incredible right-back.”
Although Walker left City in 2025 and was past his peak by the time the 2026 World Cup came around, his experience may well have been useful for England at the summer tournament. At the very least, on a personal level, Walker may well have made it to 100 caps had he decided not to hang up his boots months before the competition began.