The 35-year-old former Sheffield United full-back has decided to call time on his England career after representing the Three Lions in five major tournaments

Kyle Walker has announced his decision to retire from international football with immediate effect.

Walker progressed through the academy at Sheffield United, first joining the Blades as a seven-year-old back in 1997 before progressing through various age groups to the first team. The 35-year-old, who grew up in the Sharrow area of the city, made his first-team debut for the club in 2008/09 following an impressive loan spell at Northampton Town in League One.

He made just seven first team appearances for the Bramall Lane outfit before securing a £9m transfer to Tottenham Hotspur in 2009, in a move which also saw fellow right-back and teammate Kyle Naughton depart as part of the same deal. Walker returned to Sheffield United on loan during the 2009/10 campaign, racking up a further 28 first team appearances before being recalled by manager Harry Redknapp.

Within two seasons, he’d establish himself as a first team regular at Tottenham, making a combined total of 229 appearances across all competitions before securing a blockbuster £45m move to Manchester City where he’d go on to win 17 trophies, including six Premier League titles and the Champions League between 2017 and 2025.

Walker was widely considered one of the best right-backs in world football during his time at the Etihad and established himself as the first choice for England at international career ahead of the likes of Reece James, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Kieran Trippier among others.

Kyle Walker announces decision to retire from international football

In an emotional statement, Walker wrote: “I am sad to be making this decision, but I’m also very proud of what I've achieved with England.

“To represent my country at five major tournaments, to get to the finals that we've reached and to be surrounded by this England team, especially the players and the managers that I've had the privilege of working under, has been a great honour. But today is the time that comes to an end. It's good for me to have a little bit of closure to my career on the international stage.

“I would just like to say thank you from the bottom of my heart to the managers that I've worked under, from Fabio Capello, to Roy Hodgson, to Lee Carsley, to Gareth Southgate and to Thomas, for making a dream become reality. Thank you to all of my team mates, past and present, and I wish everyone all the best.

“And to the fans, thank you for the support over the years. Keep supporting the lads, they need you guys, they need you behind them to make sure that they can do this country proud. We're all going to be behind them and hopefully I can now be a fan watching them go and achieve something big at this World Cup.

“And last but certainly not least, thank you to my family. Thank you for putting up with all of the summers being away, and for all the times that I've obviously gone and followed my dream in representing my country.

“The book is now closed and it's been a whirlwind of a journey, but one that I've really, really enjoyed.”

Overall, Walker played in five major tournaments for England, notably reaching the finals of both UEFA EURO 2021 and 2024, as well as the FIFA World Cup semi-final in 2018.