Arabic version: ووكر مرتاح لاعتزاله اللعب الدولي مع إنجلترا

According to BBC News, former England defender Kyle Walker is “at ease” with his decision to retire from international football and hopes it can help extend his club career, as it did for former team-mate James Milner.

The Burnley right-back, who turned 36 in May, retired from the Three Lions in March after winning 96 caps, the most by an England right-back. He featured at five major tournaments, including the European Championship finals in 2021 and 2024 and the 2018 World Cup semi-finals.

Walker said the decision had been made with his family and that he did not believe he had stepped away too early, despite injuries leaving England short of right-back options during this summer’s tournament in North America. He said he would have represented England if called, but was not expecting contact after retiring.

Burnley were relegated from the Premier League after the 2025-26 season, in which Walker played 36 of the club’s 38 top-flight matches. The Clarets begin their Championship campaign at home to West Ham on Sunday, 16 August.

Walker, who won six Premier League titles and the Champions League with Manchester City before joining Burnley in 2025, said he would assess his future season by season. He pointed to Milner, who retired from England aged 30 and continued in top-flight club football for another 10 years before retiring aged 40 last season.