Kyle Walker has revealed ahead of the FA Cup final clash involving Manchester City and Manchester United, that he almost exited the Premier League for reasons not related to football.
Walker, who captains the Cityzens and will walk them out to the turf at Wembley on May 25, 2024, had apparently made up his mind about continuing his career elsewhere due to him having a secret child with Lauryn Goodman.
Kyle Walker’s time as captain of Manchester City has been amazing, with the Englishman set to lift his 4th trophy as captain of the Premier League champions.
The former Spurs man has already won the Super Cup, Club World Cup alongside the Premier League and he is keen on winning the FA Cup.
Winning now appears to be a norm with the Etihad Club, and Wembley also looks like a familiar hunting ground for them.
Walker has revealed that he was on the verge of departing England as a result of the extra-marital affair, which made him apologize to his wife Annie Kilner after admitting his mistakes.
Kyle Walker is well-respected at Manchester City, and he has done an impressive job captaining the side.
His future continues to hang in the balance, with top clubs around Europe interested in acquiring his services.
Touching in when he had his eyes away from the Premier League, Walker said:
“That was a moment in my personal life that I felt I wanted to move away from England and it was nothing to do with footballing reasons.
“It was something personal to me where I thought that taking a break from England might have been right for me.”
Walker’s Infidelity Issues
Kyle Walker had initially denied having an affair with Lauryn and that made the British woman “absolutely livid”.
The defender even went as far as calling in lawyers to fire back at Lauryn Goodman after she revealed that he was the father of their daughter, born in August 2023.
Walker accused Lauryn of promoting false stories of them being in an “intimate and loving relationship”.
Kyle Walker also claimed that Lauryn Goodman gave him several “unrealistic” demands to keep their daughter’s paternity a secret before it was revealed.
Kyle Walker’s Children
Walker has four children with wife Annie Kilner, all sons; Roman, 11, Riaan, seven, Reign, five and Rezon, who was born in April 2024.
He is also the father of a son, Kairo Walker, born in April 2020, and a daughter birthed by model and influencer Lauryn Goodman.
Meanwhile, Annie Kilner has overtime forgiven Kyle Walker for his act of infidelity, and the pair tied the knot in November 2021, having begun dating during their teenage years.
Manchester City Are Not At The Level Of Manchester United And Liverpool Yet – Walker
Meanwhile, the captain of Manchester City also expressed that the English side are still not at the level of Manchester United and Liverpool, with Pep Guardiola’s side still having much catching up to do.
On paper, his claims are rightful, as the Cityzens are gunning for their 28th major title, rivals Manchester United have won 44 titles, while Liverpool have won 46 major titles.
However, Manchester City’s dominance in the past decade cannot be underestimated, particularly since the arrival of Pep Guardiola.
They are a figure for future generations just like Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United were.
Speaking of the level the Cityzens currently are, Captain Walker said:
“When I first came here you saw a lot of United shirts and now you see a lot of kids wearing City shirts.”
“We’re swinging the pendulum but we need to keep going because the United and Liverpool teams did it for years and years. We’re doing that now; long may it continue and we need to keep it going.”
Kyle Walker noted that Manchester City are building a “dynasty” and legacy that people would look at in years to come.
He said: “We’re building this dynasty and legacy that people will look on this team. We could be the first team to do the double in two seasons consecutively.
“We’ve set the bar so high and I don’t think any of us will understand what we are achieving until we’ve finished football or it goes back to the norm, which I hope isn’t very soon and (not) while I’m at City.”
Kyle Walker has played for several clubs in his career, including; Aston Villa, Sheffield United, and Queens Park Rangers.
Kyle Walker At Manchester City
The 33-year-old has made 300 appearances for Manchester City, scoring 6 goals and providing 23 assists across all competitions.
Cumulatively, Walker has made 611 club career appearances, scoring 12 goals and providing 52 assists in all competitions.
Internationally, Kyle Walker has made 82 appearances for England, scoring 1 goal and providing 10 assists.
The Englishman has won several trophies in his career, including; 6 Premier League titles, 1 UEFA Champions League, and 1 FIFA Club World Cup.
