Win for Gareth Southgate ‘top of the list’ for Kyle Walker

Kyle Walker insists winning the European Championship is “top of the list” for manager Gareth Southgate of reasons why he wants to help England beat Spain in the Euro 2024 final on Sunday.

Southgate came under heavy criticism during the tournament in Germany, with former England striker Gary Lineker calling the team ‘s***’ and disgruntled fans booing players and throwing empty beer cups at the manager after a goalless draw with Slovenia.

And yet, despite the unstable conditions, Southgate has led England to two successive European Championship finals as they look to improve on their penalty defeat to Italy three years ago.

He also led the country to the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup and guided England to third place in the FIFA rankings, equalling their highest ever position.

Asked how much it would mean to Southgate and their friends and family to win the final, Walker told BBC Radio 5Live: “I think that’s probably top of the list.

“We do it for the group of people who have been here, who have sacrificed six weeks. And it’s not just the players, because it’s an honour to play for the country.

“The media has written us off, said we didn’t do this, didn’t do that. I’ve seen certain quotes from certain players saying we don’t have the heart and we only rely on certain individuals. That fuels us because we’re not individuals, we’re a team.

“It’s not just for the group of lads, the group of people that are here. It’s for Gareth, the fans and everyone associated with this country.

“I think we’ve been very lucky with this group of guys, and especially since Gareth and Steve (Holland) have taken over.

“As an England fan, and looking at all the teams that have been knocked out in the quarter-finals and things like that in the past, to enjoy what we have seen in the semi-finals and two European Championship finals, it is a great achievement for both the team and the management.”

Walker is keen to use his experience at Manchester City, where Pep Guardiola’s team lost the 2021 Champions League final but went on to win the trophy two years later.

“We wore a Manchester City shirt and reached the final in Porto against Chelsea, lost it and then won it in Istanbul,” he said.

“Hopefully we can follow in the footsteps of what I’ve done in the past, where we got to the final, got close and went one step further this time.

“But we have to give them credit, they are a very, very strong Spanish team who have played exceptionally well throughout the tournament, and we have to show them that level of respect.

“But I think we’re finding the right groove at the right time, and that’s what’s important in tournaments. I think if you’ve been there before, you’ve had that walk, you’ve walked past the trophy and you’ve felt the emotion… we have to perform on big occasions.”

Walker will play his 90th international match in Berlin and, despite being twice persuaded by Southgate not to retire, he is now aiming for his 100th career international.

“It’s been quite a ride, I can tell you that,” he added.

“From my first international match under (Fabio) Capello to my 90th international match in a European Championship final, it’s something special.

“It would be an achievement for me personally to reach 100 caps. I plan it after that game, but my visualisation is personally to reach 100 caps, because not many players have reached that milestone.”