Kyle Walker finally reveals why he left Man City, Pep Guardiola’s influence

England International Kyle Walker has finally opened up on why he left Manchester City for a new adventure in the Italian Seria A with AC Milan.

Walker during the January transfer window decided to leave Manchester City after winning six Premier League titles to join Sergio Conceicao’s project at Milan. His decision left fans speechless with some claiming he had an issue with City manager Pep Guardiola.

However, Walker has explained that he ‘needed to re-energise the love he has for football’, which is part of the reason why he left the Premier League champion.

The 34-year-old sat down for an interview with GQ in Milan, which was published on Friday, during which he revealed why he felt he ‘needed’ to leave Manchester City this season and why he can’t yet comment on his commitment to Milan beyond the summer.

Kyle Walker of AC Milan in action during Coppa Italia 2024/25 football match between AC Milan and AS Roma (Photo by Fabrizio Carabelli/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

“I’m not a guy that looks too far ahead. I like to take small steps at a time and that’s just how I’ve done my career. So if you ask me what the game is in three weeks, I wouldn’t know because I concentrate solely on the next game,” Walker explained.

“The first two weeks in Milan have been fantastic. The fans have been excellent. The food is great. The weather can improve a little bit. It’s not been sunny yet, but I’m waiting until March. I’m fully enjoying it.

“It’s given me a new lease of life where I can just solely concentrate on football and fall back in love with the game. I’m not saying that I fell out of love with the game, but to play in the Premier League against the same players after winning everything, this is something I needed to re-energise the love I have for football.”