Kyle Walker admits he should not have left Manchester City for Christian Pulisic’s AC Milan

Kyle Walker was one of them AC Milan‘s most important signings in the 2025 winter transfer window, but after six months did not go as planned, the defender returned to England. Now at Burnley, Walker has admitted he should not have left Manchester City to join the club Christian Pulisic‘s side.

During the 2024-2025 season Walker started to play a secondary role under Pep Guardiola following the emergence of young right back Rico Lewis. Frustrated by a lack of minutes, the city’s then captain decided to participate Milan loaned out until the end of the season.

In an interview with Sky Sports, the defender opened up about his decision to leave Manchester city: “Should I have left at that point in the season? Looking back on it now, probably not. I should have been standing next to or next to my teammates, next to my friends and people I consider my family. But probably for the first time in my career I was selfish and I thought about myself and I wanted to play football.”

Walker also explained how Milan’s offer came at a time of vulnerability. “I don’t see it as a bad reason, but I didn’t like sitting on the bench and getting a game here and there whenever I could. I felt like I still had a point to prove, I felt like I could still play football at a high level and When a club like AC Milan comes, I didn’t think I could turn it down knowing I was on the bench”, he added.

Walker initially played a key role at AC Milan, but a broken elbow proved a major setback during his time in Italy. With Pulisic’s side dropping to ninth in Serie A, missing out on European competition and facing financial constraints, The Rossoneri ultimately decided not to activate the purchase option for the English defender.

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Walker does not immediately regret joining Milan

In less than a year, Walker went from one of Manchester City’s captains to a short spell at AC Milan. and now to newly promoted Premier League team Burnley. While some fans may see it as a step back in his career or the result of a series of poor decisions, the defender sees it differently.

Reflecting on his decision to join Milan, Walker made his position clear: “But again, I don’t regret it because I always wanted to play abroad and I have always wanted to experience what it is like to play abroad. I’ve been through it, but I’m glad I did it for six months.”

While admitting there was room for improvement, Walker highlighted the positives of his time in Italy. “I probably could have done a little better toobut I think everyone involved with the club would probably hold their hands up and say ‘that was a season to just put behind us’, and they’re off to a pretty good start. I still have friends there and still look forward to their results”, he concluded.