Kyle Walker lifts lid on 'uncomfortable' Pep Guardiola chat before Man City exit
Kyle Walker lifts lid on 'uncomfortable' Pep Guardiola chat before Man City exit
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Kyle Walker admits his exit chat with Pep Guardiola "wasn't comfortable" due to the respect the pair have for each other. Walker made the move to Manchester City in 2017 and has been an integral figure during the success they've experienced at the Etihad. He's been a part of every honour the club have won during the Guardiola era but has made the decision to move on to pastures new with AC Milan.
The Englishman had found minutes increasingly hard to come by despite the team's struggles and it became clear he was likely to seek a January exit. However informing Guardiola that he wanted to leave Manchester was a tough conversation to have given the success they'd shared but Walker ultimately wanted to experience something knew and felt he would regret it if he didn't take the plunge before his career was over.
Walker said: “When I spoke with Pep, it wasn’t a comfortable conversation because of the respect we have for each other. What he’s won at City, I have won it, too. I like to think he knows what I bring to a dressing room. "City was my family - from the cooks to cleaners, kitmen and physios. I like to think I was liked and helped everyone blend in, but things weren’t going well there and I wasn’t playing enough.”.
He also added: “I would have honoured the contract if they hadn’t let me leave as that’s me as a person, but it just comes down to challenges where you think, ‘OK, I need to try something different’. I spoke to many ex-players who never moved abroad and they told me they wished they had.”.
