Kyle Walker reveals all on England’s Euros camp and shock axeing

Kyle Walker has revealed key moments of England’s run to the European Championship final, including outlining how the Three Lions aimed to cope with the pressure of trying to win the tournament in Germany.

The Man City full back opened up about the England camp on his BBC podcast ‘You’ll Never Beat Kyle Walker’.

Walker played every minute of England’s run to the final, with Gareth Southgate’s side eventually suffering a 2-1 defeat to Spain in Berlin.

The tournament marked Walker’s fifth for England, with the vice-captain opening up on his experiences in Germany to his podcast co-host Chris Hughes.

He admitted being left ‘massively shocked’ ahead of the tournament by Southgate’s decision to leave out his Manchester City team-mate Jack Grealish from his 26-man squad.

Walker suggested Grealish’s character could have been an advantage had he been included in the squad.

‘Massively shocked,’ he said when asked what he thought about Grealish’s omission. ‘Because first and foremost I know what Jack brings not just on the field but off the field.

‘He is like the knit that brings everyone together because he’s so bubbly and is such a great character.

‘We all know what he can do on the football field. He has something different that the others didn’t have.’

Grealish had payed the price for an underwhelming season, but has since admitted that he was left ‘heartbroken’ to have been left out.

Reports had claimed one player spoke to Southgate in the immediate aftermath to try to understand the call and help explain it to team-mates.

Walker dismissed suggestions he had spoken to Southgate over Grealish’s omission.  

‘I can’t go against what he thinks I might have a different opinion,’ he added. ‘I might have pulled someone in and dropped someone out. You don’t know. But he’s had to a really tough decision where someone was always going to miss out.

‘Obviously, there was a little leadership group of me Harry Kane, Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham and Saks [Bukayo Saka].

‘We tried to make sure the messages that the manager was trying to get onto the field were understood and very clear to the players. And you have to work as a team, so if we’re fighting tooth and nail before we’ve even got there because I think he’s not brought my mate [Grealish] over – it’s not really going to stand us in good stead.

‘Do I think Jack should have been there? Probably yeah, because I feel that he brings something different. But again it’s not down to me to decide who’s in the squad and who’s not in the squad.’

Walker also reflected on criticism England received for their performances, with BBC presenter Gary Lineker notably labelling their display in a group stage draw against Denmark as being ‘s***’.

The experienced defender admitted he would be lying if he said the England squad had not discussed the criticism.

He suggested the squad had ‘put more weight on our shoulders than probably needed to be’ due to their belief they could win the tournament, which he believes impacted their performances.

Mail Sport reported that Prince William had told the squad to keep calm after the Denmark draw, with Walker revealing further advice from the FA president.

‘He said “Don’t show your true self yet, wait until the end of the tournament, that is where you show your true self, where your real self comes out as a team”,’ Walker said.

‘I think he was definitely right and I think it is something I will remember and take into Man City. You don’t have to start well, it is about how you finish.’

Amid the pressure of trying to go one step further than Euro 2020, where England were beaten on penalties in the final by Italy, Walker revealed how the squad bonded in Germany.

The 34-year-old confirmed several games had taken place during the camp with England, as well as singer Ed Sheeran and golfer Ian Poulter making surprise visits.

Walker revealed the squad had been playing the game ‘wolf’ – which has been adapted to form the hit BBC show ‘The Traitors’.

The card game sees players assigned roles as villagers or werewolves, with special roles added during gameplay.

Werewolves conspire to eliminate Villagers, while Villagers must identify and vote to eliminate the hidden Werewolves. In short, players must bluff, persuade, and outwit one another to achieve their side’s victory.

Walker revealed their game of Wolf/Traitors lasted throughout the tournament, with one England squad member impressing.

‘I heard Marc Guehi was very, very good at it,’ Walker revealed. ‘He was throwing bombs left, right and centre.

‘We have called him uncle Marc, because although he is still so young, he has such a mature head on his shoulders.’

Walker was also quizzed about England’s penalty shoot-out win over Switzerland in the quarter-finals, with the Three Lions converting all five of their spot-kicks.

The full back admitted he was the penultimate penalty taker on England’s list, behind goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, but ahead of a fellow defender.

‘I think I was just before Luke Shaw,’ Walker said. ‘I think Luke Shaw was last, then it was me.

‘We were both as nervous as anything, just because we always say we don’t want to let anyone down’.

Walker was ultimately the only England player named in the official team of the tournament by an expert panel following the Three Lions near miss in Germany.

It was the second consecutive European Championships where Walker had been selected as the tournament’s best right back, although he admitted being haunted by his role in Spain’s winning goal in the final.