KYLE WALKER has opened up about his omission from the England squad, insisting he does not hold a grudge against interim boss Lee Carsley.
The 34-year-old was left out of Carsley’s first Three Lions squad last week, having made just one substitute appearance for Manchester City so far this season.
Instead, his City team-mate Rico Lewis and Newcastle’s Tino Livramento received a call-up for upcoming fixtures against Ireland and Finland.
Walker has been ever-present in the England squad over the last eight years, having appeared at five major tournaments.
But he admitted Carsley made the right call by dropping him from the squad.
Speaking on his ‘You’ll Never Beat Kyle Walker’ podcast, the Man City star said: “With the new manager and everything like that you’re expecting a few changes.
“Obviously disappointed because to represent your country is always the highest thing, especially with England when we’re doing so well.
“But I haven’t played any minutes this season so you have to take it on the chin.”
Walker then went on to reveal that he spoke to Carsley before the squad announcement, adding: “He was really nice, he gave me a ring a couple of hours before the squad was announced and we just had a conversation.
“I said to him I’m on 91 caps, I want to be involved.
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“It’s on performances and merit so I think it’s the right call from him. I just need to make sure I’m proving him wrong a little bit in the near future.”
Walker was the only England player to be named in UEFA’s Team of the Tournament after Euro 2024.
However, the right-back has been limited to just two appearances for Man City so far this season.
He was not in the squad for the Community Shield or City’s Premier League match against Ipswich last month.
And he was an unused substitute against Chelsea on the opening day of the campaign.
His only appearance so far has been a two-minute cameo off the bench against West Ham.
NOTHING stays the same forever.
And that includes the Premier League, which is making a number of tweaks this season.
Team news will now be released 75 MINUTES before kick-off, 15 minutes earlier than had been the case before.
Things could get crowded on the touchline, with the number of substitutes permitted to warm-up boosted from three players per team to FIVE.
There’s also a change to how added time is calculated when a team scores a goal, an update to the ‘multiball’ system and the introduction of semi-automated offsides – but not straight away.
Go here to read about all the changes to the Premier League for 2024/25.
