Kyle Walker: Why I Left Manchester City for a New Challenge at AC Milan

Kyle Walker has explained why he chose to leave Manchester City for a new challenge with AC Milan, despite still having a year left on his City contract. The experienced right-back admitted that while he could have stayed and run down his contract, the chance to play for a club like Milan was too good to turn down.

Walker’s departure from City comes after struggling for consistent playing time this season, despite being the club captain. Feeling that his career was stagnating, the 33-year-old asked City’s Sporting Director Txiki Begiristain for a move, and that request was granted with Milan securing a loan deal until the end of the season, with an option to buy.

During his unveiling as a Milan player, Walker opened up about the challenges he faced at City, particularly his limited playing time. He revealed that his conversation with Pep Guardiola, the City manager, wasn’t easy, but it was rooted in mutual respect.

“Obviously, things at Manchester City weren’t going too well and I wasn’t playing enough football,” Walker shared. “A reason for me wanting to come and play for this great club was that I hopefully can play a little bit more football than what I was there.”

Walker added that his bond with the City staff – from the cooks to the cleaners – made leaving all the more emotional. He stated that he always tried to create a positive atmosphere in the dressing room, and it was hard to walk away from a place that had felt like family.

Walker made it clear that staying at City wasn’t completely out of the question, as he still had a year left on his contract. However, the idea of challenging himself in a new country and a new league was too appealing to resist.

“I could have stayed in Manchester, I still had a contract there. But I think it comes down to challenges in life,” he said. “Sometimes you find yourself in a little bit of a situation where you think ‘I need to try something different.’”

He also admitted that speaking to other players who had never moved abroad made him realize the importance of embracing such a change. “I’ve spoken to many players, many ex-players, who have not moved abroad to a different league, and they said to me ‘I wish I’d experienced it,’” he explained.

To Walker, moving to a top club like AC Milan was the perfect opportunity. He believes that there are only certain clubs in the world that you can’t turn down, and Milan was one of them. “When a club like this comes knocking on the door for you, I think there’s only certain clubs in the world that you can kind of not say no to, and this was the opportunity I wanted,” he said.

Walker’s move to Milan marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter in his career, one that will offer fresh challenges and the opportunity to prove himself in a different league after a long and successful spell at Manchester City.