Kyle Walker has declared he is fully at peace with his decision to retire from international football, expressing hope that stepping away from England duty could add years to his club career — much as it did for former team-mate James Milner.

The Burnley right-back, who celebrated his 36th birthday in May, announced his England retirement in March. Over a distinguished international career, Walker earned 96 caps and featured at five major tournaments, including the UEFA European Championship finals of 2021 and 2024 and the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup.

No regrets despite England's injury crisis

England finished third at this summer's tournament in North America. A run of injuries to Reece James and Tino Livramento forced midfielder Declan Rice to cover as an emergency right-back, while central defenders Ezri Konsa and Jarell Quansah also filled in at the position.

When asked whether he had retired too soon — particularly after being left out of squads by manager Thomas Tuchel — Walker was emphatic. "No, definitely not," he said.

"It was a difficult decision but one I'm more at ease with now. It was something I wanted to do and felt it was right. I spent a lot of years with England representing my country that I was very grateful for."

Walker acknowledged the irony of England's right-back problems but said he could not have predicted the situation. "He [Tuchel] could've always called me and I would've represented my country, but he decided not to and that's how it goes. I was not expecting a call because I was retired," he said. "It was Reece James, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Tino Livramento, so I was not leaving them spare."

The Milner blueprint

Walker drew an explicit comparison with Milner, who retired from England at 30 in 2016 after earning 61 caps. The midfielder went on to play top-flight club football for another decade, becoming the all-time record appearance holder in the Premier League era before retiring at 40 following a stint at Brighton.

"You look at someone like James Milner and how long he went on in his career. He retired very early [from England] and went on to achieve great things in football so hopefully I can follow in his footsteps," Walker said.

Walker made 36 appearances in Burnley's 38 Premier League matches in the 2025-26 season, before the Clarets were relegated. He joins the Championship campaign as a key figure — Burnley open their second-tier season at home on Sunday, 16 August against West Ham, another club that was relegated from the top flight.

The defender, who won six Premier League titles and the UEFA Champions League at Manchester City before moving to Burnley in 2025, is taking a measured approach to the next chapter of his career. "I will take it season by season. I'm 36 and will be 37 at the end of the season and I will see how I feel and how my body holds up. I still feel good and still feel I'm playing at a good level," he said.