Kyle Walker’s dream is to become one of the best right-backs in world football and so far, he appears to be right on track. The English footballer has been named as right back in the PFA Team of the Year twice and counting. Kyle Walker began playing for the England national team in 2011 and was selected as part of the 23-man squad to represent the country at the FIFA World Cup 2018 in Russia. His rise to football stardom has been a rapid one that many upcoming players can only hope to match. Here is everything you’ve always wanted to know about the defender.
Kyle Walker Bio
Kyle Andrew Walker was born on 28 May 1990, in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. He was raised in Sheffield’s district area called Sharrow. Kyle began playing football at the age of 7 and soon began training with Sheffield United. His entrance into the Sheffield youth academy came as a result of a recommendation by coach Paul Archer at Football Unites, Racism Divides.
Fast forward to a decade later and Walker was promoted to the senior team as one of the reserves. He was then sent on loan to League One side Northampton Town. The main reason for the loan was so that Kyle could gain first-team experience. He improved rapidly and returned to the side a month later after which he made his full debut in an FA Cup match against Leyton Orient.
By July 2009, Kyle Walker’s performances had attracted the attention of Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur. He was signed in a combined deal worth £9 million alongside his teammate and fellow defender Kyle Naughton.
As part of the pact between both teams, Spurs was to loan Walker back to Sheffield for the 2009/2010 season. Walker solidified his place in the Starting XI gaining more experience. At the end of the 2009/2010 season, Kyle joined QPR on loan. Before the end of the season, Kyle had a brief spell at Aston Villa before returning to White Hart Lane.
Kyle’s performance at Aston Villa increased the club’s interest in him however Spurs coach, Harry Redknapp was not open for any deal. As a result, Harry secured Walker’s place by offering him a contract extension that would see him remain at the Lane until 2016. Walker began as a regular for Spurs at the start of the 2011/2012 season. His performance steadily improved and he gained much love from the fans after he scored the winning goal in an October North London derby against their arch-rivals Arsenal.
By the end of that season, Walker beat nominees including Sergio Agüero, Danny Welbeck, Daniel Sturridge, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Gareth Bale (his teammate at the time) to the PFA Young Player of the Year Award. As a reward for his hard work, the defender was signed on to a 5-year contract extension that would keep him on the team till 2017. A year later, he was offered another deal extending his stay till 2019.
However, Walker swapped boats in July 2017 when rivals Manchester City came calling. He joined the team on a controversial 5-year deal worth £50 million. With City, Walker won his first-ever major trophy, the 2017/2018 EFL Cup. He also won the season’s premier league title with manager Pep Guardiola.
Kyle Walker Parents
Kyle Walker was born to parents Michael Walker and Tracey Walker who both raised him in a middle-class background. His mom Tracey is an English woman while his father Michael hails from Jamaica making Walker of Jamaican descent. Walker’s parents have supported his football career from when he was a kid.
In a 2011 interview with UK online news website Standard, Walker recalled how when he got signed on loan to join Northampton, his dad wouldn’t let him drive alone to Northampton as he had never driven on the motorway before. For fear of losing his son to a motor crash, Michael drove ahead while Kyle followed gently behind him.
Walker also recalled feeling embarrassed and thinking about how the other boys would perceive him as a kid after his parents came in to watch him train.
Girlfriend
Kyle Walker has been in a long-term relationship with his girlfriend Annie Kilner since 2011. She is a full-time glamour model. Together the couple shares two sons including Roman (born in 2012) and Riann born in 2016.
Height, Weight, and Measurements
According to Kyle Walker’s official player’s profile on ESPN, the defender stands at 5 feet 9 inches tall which is an equivalent of 1.79 in meters. For his weight, Kyle weighs 73 kg which is approximately 161 lbs. His other body measurements are currently not available.
