Kyle Walker, one of Milan’s five signings in the January transfer window, gave an interesting interview to GQ Italia in which he spoke not only about football but also about off-the-pitch matters. Here are his words:
“I won't miss the weather,” says Kyle Walker from GQ Italia’s office in Milan, two weeks after trading Manchester for the Italian fashion capital. “I really won’t miss the weather.”
He added:
Are you into fashion?
"People do say in the dressing room that my style is OK – a lot of teammates put me in their top three. I think if you dress well, you feel well and it's always good to feel nice. I don't post as much on Instagram about my off the pitch lifestyle, so you probably wouldn't know, but I do like to have nice clothes. I'm into Hermès at the minute – I try to not wear too much stuff where you can see what the brand is, keep it as subtle as possible."
Who’s the most stylish teammate you’ve ever played with?
"I'm going to have to say Dele Alli [who played at Spurs with Walker and is currently playing for Como FC]."
Another Englishman in Italy?
"We're still yet to meet for lunch or anything because we've both been really busy but Dele is a good friend of mine and I like how he dresses. To be fair, Ruben Diaz [at Man City] put in a lot of work into his style over the years. When he first came it wasn't too good, but then he started to get into the fashion and I'd say he's improved a lot."
And what about the most stylish manager you’ve played under?
"Oh, the mister here, Conceicao, though I've not seen too much because he's normally in Puma tracksuits when we're training. Pep did like his clothes, too!"
How did you first fall in love with football?
"I could see the Sheffield United ground from my flat where I used to live so it was always a dream to play for Sheffield United. I started playing [there] at seven, I’d never played for any other clubs. It was just straight from the streets to Sheffield United then Tottenham bought me when I was 18. And look what I've gone and achieved, not just for the clubs that I've played for, but also with England as well."
How do you think your origins have influenced your way of looking at life and football?
"I've always said that genetically I've been very blessed by my mum and dad, so I have to say a big thank you to them for the physicality that I've got, and still performing at a high level at my age is good."
What’s been the best victory in your career to date?
"When you win a trophy, they all feel the same. It was extraordinary what we went and did that season (2022-23) to win the treble and to top it off with the Champions League – that will live long in my memory, but I also look back at the first trophy I won, which was the Carabao Cup [in 2018] against Arsenal with Man City."
What about the worst defeat? Walker commented:
"It would have to be with England, either the Euros against Italy or the Euros against Spain. To come so close [sighs] but we're a team that's making steps in the right direction and we've got the players to win something. Hopefully it can be this coming tournament [the 2026 World Cup]."
What will you miss about Manchester?
"I was there for seven and a half years and made friends for life and that's not just players past and present. That's the cooks, the cleaners, the kit men, the physios. They still message me and I message them back so I hope we can continue the friendship. We won a lot of trophies together and I feel they've been a massive part of my life."
From your experience with Pep at Man City, what’s the key to success? Walker replied:
"If you're not obsessed with football, you're not going to get the results that Pep has achieved, not just with Manchester City, but Barcelona and Bayern Munich. The calibre of players that he's managed too, he seems to always get the best out of them. That's why he's one of, if not the best, manager in world football."
Does he instill a winning mentality within all his players?
"Being a team sport, you need unity. You need certain characters that bring certain things, not just on the field for 90 minutes, but in the dressing room on a day-to-day basis. No one player can go out onto the field and win a game alone. Okay, maybe Messi or Ronaldo can in certain moments of magic, but with the players and teams I've played with, it's about being part of a collective and I am a strong believer in this. It's a team game, not an individual sport."
AC Milan’s new Off-White kit you’re wearing, as well as being a flex, has an important message about inclusion and unity.
"It's good that big clubs like AC Milan are putting this into their thoughts and making it aware to people. It's not just Milan that have done this, other teams I've known in the Premier League do Black Lives Matter, and there's obviously Black History Month as well, but it's important especially in this day and age that we live in, with racism, social media and everything like that. It shouldn't be just one month that's dedicated to that though, it should be the whole year or a complete life."
You’ve chosen to play with the same shirt number as David Beckham when he was at AC Milan? Are you hoping to emulate Becks in any other way?
"I don't think I can emulate David Beckham for what he did for football, both on and off the field. He changed football. He messaged me, and I said, "I hope you don't mind me taking your number." He says, "No, it's an honour; do it proud." Hopefully I can keep performing well, keep getting the wins for the team. It was an honour that he gave me a message just to say that I can have permission to wear the top."
Defenders are treated like gods in Italy, more so than in any other country. Was that another part of the appeal?
"Normally the goalscorers and the creators get a lot of the attention, whether that be in Spain, Germany or England. They do here as well but Italians also appreciate a one-nil victory. The most important thing is the three points on the board, move on to the next game."
Are you aware of all the social media memes about who does the spitting water trick better – Triple H or Kyle Walker?
[Laughs] "When I was growing up, the big craze was to watch wrestling around at one of your friend's houses on a Friday night. [Triple H] was winning everything so he just became my favourite and he did that [spitting water] so I started doing it when I was 16 and have just continued it my whole career. I do that and I say a little prayer, not just for myself but for the players that's on the pitch, because sadly I was involved in the game with [Bolton player] Fabrice Muamba when he went down with a heart attack [in 2012]. I know Fabrice, we played under 21s together, so the prayer is for the team to do well, but to make sure everyone is safe and sound on the pitch too."
Beyond this season, do you know what the future holds for you?
"I'm not a guy that looks too far ahead. I like to take small steps at a time and that's just how I've done my career. So if you ask me what the game is in three weeks, I wouldn't know because I concentrate solely on the next game. The first two weeks in Milan have been fantastic. The fans have been excellent. The food is great. The weather can improve a little bit. It's not been sunny as yet [laughs] but I'm waiting until March. I'm fully enjoying it. It's given me a new lease of life where I can just solely concentrate on football and fall back in love with the game. I'm not saying that I fell out of love with the game, but to play in the Premier League against the same players after winning everything, this is something I needed to re-energise the love I have for football."
