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Man City star Kyle Walker admits he ‘deserved to be dropped’ by England after lockdown breach ahead of Liverpool game

, Man City star Kyle Walker admits he ‘deserved to be dropped’ by England after lockdown breach ahead of Liverpool game

KYLE WALKER has admitted he ‘deserved to be dropped’ by England after breaching lockdown in the spring.

The Manchester City star, 30, broke coronavirus rules in April after hosting a sex party with two hookers – at which time he’d already gone eight months without playing for England.

Kyle Walker has revealed being axed by England was the best thing for him

Seething Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate vowed never to pick Walker again.

But after turning things around, the right-back earned a recall – only to be sent-off in the nervy 1-0 win over Iceland in September.

Two months on, Walker is firmly back in the Three Lions set-up once more – and he credits being axed by Southgate for it.

Walker told the Daily Mail: “England’s game with Iceland and what happened after it was important for me.

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“I’d been left out of the squad for more than a year.

“The first time it happens, you think, ‘No problem, maybe I’ll benefit from the rest’ and that sort of stuff.

“I had played for England since I was 21. As soon as the squad’s announced, you get used to being in it.

“You are saying bye to the kids and spending a lot of time away in a hotel. 

, Man City star Kyle Walker admits he ‘deserved to be dropped’ by England after lockdown breach ahead of Liverpool game

Kyle Walker saw red after 70 minutes of September’s game against Iceland

“Gareth and Steve [Holland] have made it a more enjoyable place to go and play football and it should be because you are representing your country, so it was still hard to miss out.

“The second time I was left out, I kind of expected to be in that one so it was a bit of a jolt.

“And then when it happened a third time, I thought, ‘Maybe I’m just not his cup of tea any more’. 

“But before the lockdown happened, the manager came over to the house and spoke to me.

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“He said: ‘Listen Kyle, I have been very happy with your performances and I want you back in the team for the next camp’.

“I told him I had probably taken it for granted a bit because I had been in the team for so long.”

Walker went on to say being dropped was the best thing for his Three Lions future, in the long run.

, Man City star Kyle Walker admits he ‘deserved to be dropped’ by England after lockdown breach ahead of Liverpool game

Kyle Walker revealed he used to take being picked for England for granted

The full-back added: “As much as I hate to admit it, I probably needed to be dropped to realise the importance of playing for England.

“Not that I lost it. But I just took it for granted. I thought I’d be in the squad. 

“So, come the Iceland game, it was difficult – I wanted to prove that, even though I’m 30 years old, I still had a lot to offer.

“I think he knows what I can do as a footballer but I felt like I was that eager to show him that I needed to stay in the squad, I made decisions on the pitch that I don’t normally make.

“I don’t make rash challenges. Before that, I had only been sent off once in my career.

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“Amd that was for a shoulder-to-shoulder on Dominic Calvert-Lewin against Everton, which was my first game at the Etihad for Man City.

“My whole Tottenham career, I never got sent off. It is not in my nature to make rash challenges.

“I thought I could get that ball against Iceland. Maybe I wasn’t quite sharp enough coming back off holiday.

“Maybe I lost that half a second and just half a second and it’s a red.”

, Man City star Kyle Walker admits he ‘deserved to be dropped’ by England after lockdown breach ahead of Liverpool game

Walker says Southgate’s words after his emotional interview reassured him

Walker continued by saying he really beat himself up after his red card – but revealed Southgate’s reassuring words calmed him down.

The City ace said: “I did an interview and I was running on emotions. I thought I needed to address the public and the media and hold my hands up and say it was my fault.

“I went too negative with how I was feeling. At that moment, I felt it might be the end of my England career. I had my chance and I had got sent off in a qualifier.

“I thought, ‘Someone, somewhere upstairs doesn’t want me in that England team’. That’s what I was thinking.

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“When I got back to the hotel, I went to see the manager privately and apologised.

“I was the senior member of the side and I told him I knew I couldn’t be making decisions like that that could cost the team in big matches.

“He agreed with me about that but he said he had heard my interview.

“He said: ‘It’s not over. You’ve made a mistake and people make mistakes but if you continue to perform at the level you’re performing at, you will be in my squads’.

“That made me take a big breath of relief and think he wasn’t that mad at me and he was saying it wasn’t over.

“That gave me the reassurance to go and perform how I have done recently.

“I’m pleased with the way I have played since then. I’m pleased with the way I’ve played in this new season.”

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