Walker explains why he ‘needed’ to leave Man City for Milan: ‘It’s a new lease of life’ | OneFootball

Kyle Walker has explained that he ‘needed to re-energise the love I have for football’, which is part of the reason why he decided to leave Manchester City after winning six Premier League titles to join Sergio Conceicao’s project at Milan.

The 93-time England international joined the Rossoneri on loan with an option to buy during the January transfer window, effectively bringing his seven-and-a-half year spell at the Etihad to a close.

Since then, he has gone on to play every minute for Milan from his debut onwards. His first start came in the 1-1 draw with Inter in the Derby della Madonnina, then the 2-0 win over Empoli in Serie A and most recently the 1-0 loss to Feyenoord in the Champions League.

MILAN, ITALY – FEBRUARY 02: Kyle Walker of AC Milan battles for possession with Federico Dimarco of FC Internazionale during the Serie A match between AC Milan and FC Internazionale at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on February 02, 2025 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

Why Walker ‘needed’ to leave Man City for Milan

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.

“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.

Official: Kyle Walker joins Milan from Manchester City (picture via www.acmilan.com/it)

“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.”