Walker's desire to play abroad key to Milan move
Kyle Walker says speaking to former players who regretted spending their entire careers in England motivated him to join AC Milan on loan from Manchester City.
Walker joined the Rossoneri on a season-long loan deal last week, with the Serie A giant having an option to make the deal permanent for €5million (£4.2m).
The right-back had fallen out of favour at the Etihad Stadium after enduring a drop in form, while he only played in three of England's six Nations League games under interim boss Lee Carsley before the turn of the year.
Walker should get regular minutes at San Siro, with Milan's first-choice right-back Emerson Royal facing two months on the sidelines after suffering a calf injury.
While that was one consideration Walker weighed up before making the move, he was also keen to ensure he experienced playing abroad before the end of his career.
"I could have stayed in Manchester, I would have honoured the contract if they hadn't let me leave because that's me as a person," Walker said at his unveiling. "But it comes down to challenges where you think, 'okay, I need to try something different'.
"I've spoken to many ex-players who never moved abroad and told me they wished they had.
"If it hadn't been a big club, I'd have stayed with City. There are certain clubs you can't say no to, and this was the opportunity I wanted, I had a gut feeling."
Walker made 319 appearances for City after arriving from Tottenham in 2017, winning 15 major trophies, including six Premier League titles and the Champions League in 2023.
He was close to joining Bayern Munich in the aftermath of City's European success, only to pen a contract extension to run until June 2026.
Walker told City boss Pep Guardiola of his desire to leave the Etihad at the start of the January transfer window, and he says it was an uncomfortable conversation.
"When I spoke with Pep, it wasn't a very comfortable conversation – mainly because of the respect we have for each other," he said.
"What he's won at Manchester City, I've won it, too. I like to think he knows what I bring to a dressing room, the atmosphere I create.
"I like to think I was liked and helped everyone blend in. But things weren't going well there, and I wasn't playing enough football. Hopefully, I can play a bit more here."
