In a revealing interview, the defender has candidly admitted to a deep-seated regret over his departure from the Etihad, a move that came after he amassed a staggering 16 major trophies, including six Premier League titles and a Champions League.

While embracing his new role at Turf Moor, Walker reflects on the past with a fresh perspective and unwavering honesty.

“I look back and I think, ‘should I have left?’ I was the club captain and you’re the first in line when things weren’t going well,” Walker reflected. “Looking back at it now, probably no, I should have stood next to my teammates and my friends and people I class as my family.”

The decision to leave was, by his own admission, a rare moment of selfishness in a career defined by a team-first mentality.

At the time, he was a club captain facing reduced playing time, a situation that challenged his desire to remain a vital part of the on-field action.

“For the first time probably in my career, I was selfish and I thought about myself. I wanted to play football. I don’t see it as a bad reason, but I wasn’t happy sitting on the bench and getting a game here and there whenever I could.”

His time at City was about more than just football; it was about the deep bonds forged with the entire club ecosystem.

“It’s tough because you’re not just leaving the football,” he said. “I’m leaving friends, and that’s not even just the lads; I’m leaving the kitchen staff, the physios, the kitmen. I know them, and they know me inside out. That’s not a player who’s just going to sit there and say, ‘I’m getting old, but I’m playing for a top club, sit on the bench and take your medicine.’ That’s not me. I’d rather go to somewhere that I know there’s going to be competition for places and I’m going to play football.”

That desire to play and prove himself led him to Burnley, a club fighting for its place in the top flight, and a challenge Walker embraces with a fire he hasn’t felt in years.

When asked why Burnley, he simply replied, “Why not?”

He sees the fight for Premier League survival not just as a job, but as a quest for a different kind of prize.

“This is like a trophy for me. If we survive this, I’ll count this as 17. Like you just said there, 16. This will be 17 for me just because of people writing us off and thinking that we won’t have a chance.”

Walker’s motivation is deeply personal, stemming from a lifelong desire to prove his doubters wrong.

“I love proving people wrong. I’ve done it my whole life, and when people doubt me, it just gives me some fuel,” he said. “I’ll just keep going until I break you, and then I’d say, ‘Look, I’ve proved you wrong.’ Yeah, that’s just me as a person. Write me off. Okay, I’ll just keep going.”

His arrival brings a wealth of experience to a young, hungry squad.

Walker has quickly taken on a leadership role, setting the standard for his teammates.

“I hope I’m leading and I hope I’m showing them that there’s standards to meet every day,” he said. “You don’t take your foot off the gas because people smell weakness. They’re going to tread all over you in this league.”

Beyond the club, Walker still has personal goals, chief among them reaching 100 caps for England.

Currently on 96, he sees it as a monumental personal achievement.

“I’m quite content now that if it was 96 and it was out, it’s kind of like, okay, I gave it a good bash. I gave it all I could,” he said, referencing the difficult decision he considered to retire after the EURO 2020 final loss. “The four is something I want to get to as something personal for myself just to say I’m the second Black player to get 100 caps.”

The move to Burnley also represents a homecoming of sorts.

Walker already had a “soft spot” for the club due to his son playing there and his long-standing friendship with manager Vincent Kompany.

“The club kind of sold itself to me,” he said, citing his frequent visits to the training ground.

He also looks forward to a poignant return to the Etihad, a place he still considers “home from home” despite wearing the opposing colours.

Ultimately, Walker’s move is a testament to his enduring passion for the game and his refusal to settle. He is a professional with a new job to do.

“My time with City is… you close that book and you move on and open another book, and this is my new journey now. When I step over that line, I’m representing the Burnley colours, and I want to win, and I’ll do anything to win.”

He finished with a confident assertion about the team’s chances: “I think we stay up. I believe honestly that there are worse teams than us in the league.”

Walker’s transition from a dominant force at a winning machine to a key leader in a relegation battle is a bold and captivating move, one that will test his grit and cement his legacy in a whole new way.

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The right-back completed his medical on Friday and has signed a two-year contract with the Clarets.

The 35-year-old will work again with head coach Scott Parker, with whom he played at Tottenham Hotspur for two seasons.

“I’m delighted to be here,” Walker told Burnley’s website. “I can’t wait to come in and add my experience and quality to what looks an exciting squad.

“When I spoke to Scott and heard about his plans for next season, it was an opportunity I jumped at. He’s done an amazing job here, guiding the club back to the Premier League.”

Walker made 15 appearances in the first half of last season for City before joining AC Milan on loan in January, but the Italian club decided not to make his move permanent.

He won 17 trophies during his time at Etihad Stadium and was part of the squad that won the Treble in 2023.

Walker, who started his career at Sheffield United, signed for City in the summer of 2017 for an initial £45m and made 319 appearances for the club.

Burnley were promoted back to the Premier League last season following their relegation in 2024.

The Clarets creatively announced Walker’s arrival on X, using Popstar Lionel Richie’s music video for his song ‘Hello’.

Walker is their fifth signing of the summer, following the arrival of defender Axel Tuanzebe, left-back Quilindschy Hartman, goalkeeper Max Weiss and French winger Loum Tchaouna.

Multiple reports state that the deal includes the option for the Serie A giants to sign the 34-year-old permanently in the summer.

Walker has won six Premier League titles, two FA Cups and a UEFA Champions League since joining City from Tottenham in 2017.

The England international said that it was a dream come true to have played for the club in a farewell post on social media.

“Manchester City… where do I start? Signing for this incredible club in 2017 was a dream come true,” he said on Instagram.

“Seven years later, winning 17 trophies, including the Champions League and the famous treble is something I could only have dreamt as a child.

“To play alongside so many top players has pushed me to be the best version of myself, and I’m truly grateful for the opportunity I’ve had at the Etihad.

“A huge thank you to so many people, the coaching staff, the kit men and all the backroom staff who work tirelessly behind the scenes.

“You make every day enjoyable and provide the platform for us to perform at our best.

“To my team-mates, from the moment I walked through the door I felt at home. Thank you for the great memories and for all the success we have shared together. You are friends, but also family for life.

“To Pep Guardiola, thank you for believing in me and working so hard to bring me here in 2017. Together, we’ve celebrated 17 trophies, and your guidance has helped shape me into the player I am today. I’ll be forever grateful.

“To Annie, our children and all my family who have been there and supported me on this journey thank you.

“Most importantly, to the fans – thank you for embracing me as one of your own from day one. Your unwavering support, week in, week out, home and away, will never be forgotten. I wish you all constant success going forward. Thank you.”

Guardiola revealed earlier in January that Walker had asked to leave the club in pursuit of a move abroad.

The defender has endured a tumultuous first half of the campaign but will strengthen The Rossoneri’s options at right back.

Milan boss Sergio Conceicao has struggled with options in that role with both Emerson Royal and Davide Calabria struggling for form.

Walker joined City from Tottenham in 2017 for a reported £50 million and went on to win 17 trophies in his time at The Etihad.

He helped the club win a historic treble and played in the 2023 Champions League triumph over Milan’s city rivals Inter.

Walker was left out of the City squad for their 8-0 FA Cup third-round victory over League Two Salford even though Guardiola had only two recognised defenders in his starting line-up.

The 34-year-old England international still has 18 months left on his contract.

However, Guardiola said the City skipper went to see director of football Txiki Begiristain on Thursday to explain his desire to look at an exit.

“Two days ago Kyle asked to explore the options to play abroad,” said Guardiola.

“We cannot understand [what] the club did these years without Kyle. It’s impossible. He’s been our right-back, giving us something we didn’t have. But now in his mind, for many reasons, he would like to explore if he can go to another country to play his last years.”

Asked if Walker would be granted his wish if he said he wanted to leave, Guardiola said: “Of course.

“It doesn’t mean it’s going to happen because you never know the situation. But I am pretty convinced there’s no-one in our job that doesn’t want to be there who can perform and be exactly what they want to be.”

Guardiola added Walker had initially asked to leave City in the wake of their historic Treble success in 2023. Guardiola said German giants Bayern Munich had told Walker they wanted to sign him but had failed to match the fee City demanded.

It is unlikely there will be a similar problem this time around as Guardiola is already committed to refreshing a squad that has struggled badly during the first half of the season.

City have already agreed a £33.6m deal with French club Lens for Uzbekistan international defender Abdukodir Khusanov. They are also in negotiations with Brazilian side Palmeiras for teenage defender Vitor Reis and are keen on Eintracht Frankfurt forward Omar Marmoush.

Pep Guardiola’s side are on a seven-match winless run in all competitions, with their grip on the Premier League title slipping with an 11-point deficit to make up on leaders Liverpool.

City’s 2-0 defeat at Anfield on Sunday left them fifth in the table, while they are 17th in the league phase of the UEFA Champions League with two wins from their first five matches.

Addressing their recent form in a social media post, Walker said: “We know our recent performances haven’t been up to the standard we expect, and we’re aware it’s been tough.

“But we’ve been through these challenges before, together, and we’ll come through this one as well.

“It’s important that we all stay together as one club, as Manchester City, through this tough spell.

“Your support, whether in the good times or the difficult moments, means everything to us.”

City have dominated the Premier League in recent years as they shattered records on their way to four successive top-flight titles.

Walker is insistent that they can still rescue something from the season and repair their damaging start to the campaign.

He said: “We’ve won titles in the final games of the season, and we’ve made history with a record-breaking 100-point campaign, right down to the last kick.

“We’ve shown time and time again that we can rise to the challenge, and we will do so again. I promise you, we’ll fight until the very end.”

City face Nottingham Forest on Wednesday looking to win their first game since October 26.

The Manchester City defender, who spent eight years at Spurs between 2009-17, described his former manager as “so, so nice,” on the latest episode of the You’ll Never Beat Kyle Walker podcast.

Walker says he will “never, ever forget” the moment Villas-Boas addressed his Spurs team following his sacking, revealing that members of the squad also broke down in tears.

“I’ve got tears running down my eyes… Michael Dawson is welling up,” said the 34-year-old. “That’s how much he meant to the lads.”

Portuguese manager Villas-Boas took charge of Spurs in July 2012 and almost guided the club to the Champions League in his first season – finishing just one point behind fourth-placed Arsenal in the Premier League.

Spurs’ squad that year included 2012-13 PFA Player of the Year, Gareth Bale.

The Wales star made a then-world record £85.3m move to Real Madrid in the summer of 2013 and, despite reinvesting in the squad, the team struggled the following season.

After a string of poor results, a chastening 5-0 defeat by Liverpool in December 2013 saw Villas-Boas given his marching orders.

Walker says he regrets the fact the team did not perform well enough to keep their manager in his job.

“Bale was a massive, massive loss,” he said. “They signed seven players off the back of the Bale money. There’s a lot of changes there and we just never really gelled in time for him [Villas-Boas] to then do well.”

Despite the fact that the team “didn’t do him justice”, Walker says of his former boss, “for 10 or 12 men to be crying because the manager’s gone, he’s done something well in the dressing room”.

‘Really hurt’ by selection call

Walker also spoke on the podcast about his relationship with former Spurs manager, Mauricio Pochettino.

He had been a stalwart for Tottenham, but during his final season he faced competition at right-back from fellow England international Kieran Trippier.

He said he has the “utmost respect” for Trippier, but felt it was “a little bit of a low blow” when Pochettino opted to start the former Burnley defender ahead of him for Spurs’ last ever game at their former ground, White Hart Lane – a 2-1 win against Manchester United in May 2017.

“He [Pochettino] brought me on at, like, 84 minutes or something like that,” said Walker. “That’s the one thing that really hurt me.

“I just felt that I’ve been here for so long. That ground actually meant so much to me.”

Walker said Pochettino gave him permission to leave the club in the summer of 2017 after telling him Trippier would be his first choice right-back.

However, the 34-year-old said he “doesn’t have a bad word to say” about his former coach and that, “I say thank you and whenever I see him, I give him a hug and a cuddle and that’s it”.

Hodgson’s angry side

During the podcast, Walker revealed which managers have delivered the most severe tellings-off during his career.

He said former England manager Roy Hodgson was generally “very formal and polite” but that “when he lost it, something else would come out”.

He remembered one time when the 77-year-old kept the team back “for about half an hour” after a poor performance at Wembley, “just hammering us”.

Walker also singled out former Tottenham manager Pochettino, saying: “If I was going to say someone who lost it, I’d probably say him just because of how passionate he was about the game.”

“He was quite calm, but when he lost it, he could flip,” he added.

Walker has enjoyed a glittering career at City, winning the Premier League six times as well as two FA Cups, four EFL Cups and the Champions League.

He has been capped 90 times by England and is widely regarded as one of the best right-backs in the world.

Speaking on the You’ll Never Beat Kyle Walker podcast the 34-year-old opened up on the influence his dad Michael has had on his career.

Walker said his father “made me be the person and player that I am” and at the start of his career it was about “proving my dad wrong” after he criticised his performances as a youngster.

“I used to hate going to football with him,” said Walker, who has also played for Sheffield United and Tottenham – and had loan spells at QPR, Aston Villa and Northampton.

“No matter if I played good or I played bad, I’d get in the car and I’d be reduced to tears. He’d say I wouldn’t have done this right, I wouldn’t have done that right.

“He didn’t do it because he wanted to hurt me. He did it because he cared.”

Walker acknowledged his mother Tracey provided the “caring support” he needed and it took him a long time to win over his father with how he played on the pitch.

“Sometimes it was very, very tough to get in that car, my mum would be going ‘Michael, leave him alone he’s done well’,” Walker said.

“I could have scored three goals. But he would have said, ‘no, you should have scored six’. Only when I’ve got older in my career, he actually says ‘all right, well played son’.

“After a couple of years at City. I think he was then like ‘you know, he actually can play football’.”

Walker said he does “not do the same” with his own children in terms of critiquing their performances, although he does tap into some aspects of his father’s parenting style.

“I still feel that some of the things in life – where he’s taught me to be a winner – I’m trying to embed that into the boys,” he added.

“With my kids now, I don’t let them win. If I keep letting them win, when they lose, it’s going to be traumatic for them.

“We’ll play a little game in the garden or something and I’ll give it my all because I feel that it’s going to install that into them.”

City were the first club to win four successive English top-flight championships last term and begin their defence on Sunday when they travel to Chelsea.

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Monday Night Club, England full-back Walker said: “I wouldn’t say it’s an ego, but we’ve done this now four times in a row – this is our trophy to lose.

“I can assure you, when you’re looking down at your arm and you’ve got that gold badge that no-one else has got it’s a good feeling. Long may it continue.”

Meanwhile, reflecting on England’s Euro 2024 campaign in the latest episode of You’ll Never Beat Kyle Walker, he said the team “put more weight on our shoulders than was probably needed” as they finished runners-up to Spain.

Under manager Pep Guardiola, City have become a ruthless winning machine – but getting motivated for new campaigns hasn’t got any more difficult.

Walker added: “For us to go and do four in a row off the back of a Treble was a great achievement. To pick yourself up and go again after such a high, plus we won the Super Cup and Club World Cup as well, was especially important.

“Now, why can’t we go and do five in a row? Why can’t we go and do something I don’t think will probably be ever be done again? That’s the motivation we have to create from us as a group of players, from me as a captain.”

Guardiola is a driving force for City’s hunger and makes sure the players match his level of dedication to delivering silverware.

Walker admitted the club want “instant success – and that’s what we have to deliver”.

“I think if you didn’t have that drive, he wouldn’t have you at the club. It’s a big part of his DNA, winning,” he told the Monday Night Club.

“Look at the teams he’s gone and managed, the players he’s worked with. He’s not shy that if you’re not pulling your weight, he’s not scared to tell you.”

‘Everyone wants to be liked’ – on criticism of England’s Euro 2024 team

Having beaten Serbia in their Group C opener at the Euros, England came in for strong criticism when they followed that 1-0 win with drab draws against Denmark and Slovenia.

Speaking on You’ll Never Beat Kyle Walker, the defender revealed the squad discussed media criticism while out in Germany.

“I’d be lying if I said we don’t speak about it,” he added. “We’re all human beings and everyone wants to be liked – especially for the job that you’re doing with so much passion and love.”

The Three Lions later scraped past Slovakia in the last 16, winning 2-1. They were 1-0 behind to the 44th-ranked nation until the 95th minute, when Jude Bellingham scored an overhead bicycle kick to take the game into extra time, where captain Harry Kane headed home the decisive goal.

Walker, who was also part of the England squad ignominiously knocked out by Iceland in the last 16 at Euro 2016, admitted he thought history may repeat itself before Bellingham’s goal.

“You just think, ‘is this really happening again?’,” he said, adding how late winners showed “the guts and the courage” of the squad.

‘Massively shocked’ by Grealish omission

One major story going into the tournament was Gareth Southgate’s decision not to include Manchester City forward Jack Grealish in his 26-man squad. The 28-year-old, who has 36 England caps, said afterwards he was “heartbroken” to be left out.

Club team-mate Walker told the You’ll Never Beat Kyle Walker podcast he was “massively shocked” by Southgate’s decision, saying Grealish “brings something different” to the other players who travelled to Germany.

He added “it’s not down to me to decide who’s in the squad.”

Southgate’s team selections were also scrutinised throughout the tournament, with some pundits and fans calling for Cole Palmer, Ollie Watkins and Anthony Gordon to start games or be brought on to the pitch earlier than they were as substitutes.

Walker said players “understand that the manager has a very, very difficult decision to make” and added “it’s not always the starters who go on and get all the plaudits”.

Watkins scored a 90th-minute winning goal in the semi-final against the Netherlands after being brought on as a late substitute. Chelsea’s Palmer, meanwhile, brought England level against Spain in the final after being brought on in the second half.

Southgate resigned at the end of the tournament and Lee Carsley has been appointed interim manager.

The 33-year-old had entered the final year of his previous deal and was linked with a move to Bayern Munich in the summer.

Walker has won 13 major trophies in his six years at City and the new deal means the he will stay until 2026.

“I’m thrilled to sign a new deal. My future is with Manchester City and that is the best thing for me,” Walker said.

“I’ve enjoyed every single moment of the past six years at this fantastic club. I have an amazing coach, great teammates and staff and our fans are the best. I feel supported on every single level,” he added.

The right-back joined City when he arrived from Tottenham in a £45m deal in August 2017.

Walker made 39 appearances in all competitions for City last season but did not start in the side’s Champions League final win against Inter Milan.

He also lost his place for a period in the 2022-23 campaign and admitted he was “hurt” by comments made by City boss Pep Guardiola, who said Walker was unable to play in a new defensive system used in the second half of the season as the club completed the Treble of Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup.

But Guardiola said in July he would “fight” to keep Walker after interest from German club Bayern emerged.

Walker has gone on to start all of City’s four Premier League games this season as well as the Super Cup final and been captain in all but one of those matches.

“We are very happy that Kyle will be here until 2026,” said director of football Txiki Begiristain.

“For me, he is the best right-back in the world, a player with a unique set of attributes. He brings a very special dynamic to our team. Kyle has been a huge part of our recent success.”

The right-back, who came through the ranks at the Blades, struck midway through the first half with a superb long-range strike.

It was a deserved goal for a Manchester City side that dominated the first half, and they could have added another but for an excellent save by Aaron Ramsdale from Ferran Torres’ header.

Ramsdale did well again in the second half when he dived at full stretch to keep out a Riyad Mahrez’s free-kick.

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But from then on the visitors struggled to find a second goal that would kill the game off and United should have capitalised when substitute John Lundstram fired just over from Sander Berge’s cross.

That was as close as the Blades came as City took their third league win of the season to move into the top half of the table.

Sheffield United remain winless and in the relegation zone with just one point from their first seven games.