Kyle Walker details support from City boss Pep Guardiola amid affair backlash
Kyle Walker has thanked his Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola for his support after revealing the difficulties he has experienced off the pitch this season due to an affair.
Walker’s marriage to his wife and mother of his three sons Annie Kilner has fallen apart after he secretly fathered a second son with Lauryn Goodman. The 33-year-old has been kicked out of the family home because of his “horrible” behaviour which has turned his life upside down.
He nearly left City for Bayern Munich in a £15million transfer in July in order to find an “escape” from the mess he had created. But Walker ended up staying with the club he joined in 2017 and ended up signing a new contract in September which will keep him there until June 2026.
Guardiola’s support was a large part of that decision and, speaking to The Sun, Walker hailed his manager as “unbelievable”. He added: “He didn’t know what was happening. I didn’t want to tell him because I didn’t want him to think I wasn’t mentally there. I can’t thank him enough for the understanding and belief he’s shown in me through four years.”
Walker has taken on a leadership role at City, often captaining the side while Kevin De Bruyne was sidelined through injury. He is part of Guardiola’s core leadership group alongside De Bruyne, Rodri, Ruben Dias and Bernardo Silva and has made 29 appearances in all competitions this season.
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Guardiola is a huge fan of Walker and spoke glowingly about his influence in September after he penned a new contract in the wake of the failed Bayern move. “When Bayern Munich call you it is a big, big, big opportunity, there are no doubts about that,” Guardiola said.
“We did our job to try to convince him to stay and the benefits to stay, and I promise you, because it was not just me, the club did too but especially it was his mates. They made a lot of meetings, saying ‘Kyle, you cannot leave’, and they made him feel how much he is loved by everyone and in the end he decided to stay.”
Kyle Walker has been backed by Pep Guardiola at Man City (CameraSport via Getty Images)Walker may be struggling away from the pitch in his personal life, but Guardiola is clear about his standing at City. “He has an incredible heart,” he added. “When players are injured he calls – he called me twice. [He] takes care of staff. This counts a lot, people say how good the players are, the reason why we have success is we have quality humans. This is the reason why.”
Walker also praised England boss Gareth Southgate for his compassion, revealing he had texted him to offer support earlier this season. He said: “For your national team manager to reach out in a time of need goes beyond football.”
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