Kyle Walker is undoubtedly one of the greatest fullbacks British football has ever produced. Now 34 years old, though, he is very much in the twilight of his career.
That said, to the surprise of some, there is still enough about him – in the eyes of Thomas Tuchel at least – to earn a call-up to the England national team. Having left Manchester City roughly two months ago, many fans will not be sure how he is doing out on loan at AC Milan.
It's been a mixed start for the Englishman in Serie A, with some highs and lows already.
Walker's Champions League Struggles
"AC Milan Champions League debut to forget with England star run ragged"
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The idea of playing Champions League football at the iconic San Siro would have surely been part of what attracted Walker to Milan in the first place. Unfortunately, though, his new team was pretty quickly dumped out of the competition.
The 34-year-old played both legs in the club's play-off tie against Dutch side Feyenoord, losing 1-0 away and then drawing 1-1 at home, resulting in a 2-1 defeat on aggregate. Notably, he really struggled in the first leg.
Coming up against Feyenoord winger Igor Paixao, the Englishman looked every bit his age. As noted in the Italian media, Walker had an "AC Milan Champions League debut to forget with England star run ragged by Brazilian ace."
One journalist wrote: "Today Walker is going to dream about Paixao", and another said: "Kyle Walker’s most challenging game with Milan since joining. Paixao looked unstoppable." While third summed it up, saying:
"The Brazilian has turned Kyle Walker into a broken toy."
Walker and his teammates could only muster a draw in the return leg. The Englishman did marginally better, but still "struggled to have an impact and also lost the battle with [Hugo] Bueno in the second half."
Kyle Walker Related
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Domestic Form
Started well but has faded
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Domestically, Walker started pretty well in Italy. After his first three outings – two Serie A matches and a cup win vs Roma – his new fans were singing his praises. One even wrote: "The best player on the pitch for three games in a row. Our best signing this winter."
Since then, his form has dipped somewhat. He was hooked at half-time during AC Milan's 1-0 win over Hellas Verona and also lasted just 45 minutes (this time coming off the bench) in the defeat at Lazio. That said, fitness issues may have played a part in that – as he missed two league outings in this period with a hamstring injury.
In his final outing before the international break, Walker played the full 90 as Milan beat Como 2-1. He made headlines when he pleaded with the referee not to send Dele Alli off as his former England teammate made a return to action for the first time in 748 days.
As for Walker's performance on the night, he underwhelmed. Sempre Milan gave him a 5.5/10 player rating and noted:
"It was okay at times, but he was rather slow in defence and not quite on his A-game, whatever that is. Como noticed this early and took advantage, with Diao creating a lot on the right flank. The Englishman also had some poor passes in attack."
One Football gave him the same lowly score and wrote: "It feels like his lavish lifestyle in Italy is starting to temper with his on-field performances as he made two atypical mistakes, which nearly led to goals for Como."
So far, he has played in six Serie A games, winning four, losing once, and drawing the other.
Conclusion
A mixed start but Milan impressed enough to consider permanent deal
Kyle Walker stats at AC Milan so far
As the stats show, his performances have actually not been that bad. A respectable 7.06 average match rating, from his first 9 outings suggests that Walker has been reliable enough.
That said, just one clean sheet in that time – not to mention only four victories in this period – explains the somewhat underwhelming reaction to him from the Italian press to date.
It's positive that rumours have already started to swirl about a potential permanent move to Milan in the summer. It's reported that the Italian side view Walker higher up in the pecking order than fellow former Spurs man Emerson Royal, and so are keen on a transfer – albeit at a cut price, lower than the option-to-buy €5m (£4.2m) fee.
Even so, it's a bit of a surprise that he has done enough to make the England squad. The only explanation must be that Tuchel wants him in there for his experience.
Stats via SofaScore - as of 20/03/24