I tried to quit England but now not even Man City critics can stop me

As the nation busies itself questioning Phil Foden's role and performance against Serbia, another Manchester City man went under the radar.

Kyle Walker wouldn't have been at these Euros if he had it his way; he tried to retire from international football first after the defeat to Italy in the final of Euro 2020 and then after the Qatar World Cup in the winter of 2022. Each time, he was convinced not to call it off by England head coach Gareth Southgate.

That in itself is telling, for it is only just over two years since Southgate left Walker out of an England squad to assess younger options for the right-back role yet Reece James and Trent Alexander-Arnold have not made the spot their own. It could be argued that Alexander-Arnold has bypassed it by moving into midfield, but it is hard to think that Southgate would even consider that luxury move if he did not have a quality right-back already in the position where the Liverpool defender has played nearly all of his career.

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Walker, who turned 34 a few weeks ago, saw his influence grow last season at the Etihad when he was named captain and he is now one of England's leaders at a major tournament. He was solid enough in a fairly uninspiring 1-0 win, with his pace creating problems for the Serbian defence and prompting Serbian attackers to be frequently skittish when they were in possession on his side of the pitch.

It's fair to say the veteran has endured his fair share of criticism over his career, for both his football performances and personal life. He gave a big interview