England defender Kyle Walker has admitted to making a series of bad mistakes during the lockdown, with the Manchester City right-back, whose escapades included a sex-party with prostitutes back in April, saying he hopes to put the incident behind him.
Walker is back in Gareth Southgate’s England squad and the 30-year-old is expected to be one of the leading lights of the Three Lions’ young but highly promising side.
The right-back’s lockdown inspired transgressions did not stop with the sex romp in April, as he went on to host a party and travel to South Yorkshire to visit his sister and parents at different addresses.
“I reflect on, you know, my decision making,” he told BBC Radio 5 Live. “It was bad decisions from me at an important time for the country and the world. I take full responsibility for that but I’m moving on now.
Despite being a repeat offender, Walker said Southgate had assured him that all had been forgiven.
“Me and the boss [England manager Gareth Southgate] spoke after the lockdown incidents and, you know, he assured me that we all make mistakes.
“Obviously, mine were on a bigger scale and gets magnified with me being in the public eye and a role model, so I have to take full responsibility for my actions, which I have done.”
Walker, who is three matches away from notching up half a century in Three Lions colours, said Southgate had talked him before he was snubbed previously by the national team. Walker has not played for his country since the Nations League finals in June 2019.
“The gaffer rung me up and he said that he wanted to look at the youngsters coming through, so I kind of just took a seat back and kind of thought ‘OK, well, the next squad I’ll be back in’.
“But, rightly so, I wasn’t in the team because they played well when they got the chance. If you perform well for England, you should keep the shirt.I was just actually speaking to Kempy (Steve Kemp) the physio yesterday and just saying how much it’s changed.
“But I think it’s changed for the right reasons. Each time that I’ve been in the squad – I’ve been out of the squad for I think it’s just over a year now – you come back in and you fit in, and you just feel part of the family again”