Kyle Walker will be vital to England’s World Cup campaign, hints Southgate

Gareth Southgate has dropped a strong hint that Kyle Walker will be fundamental to England’s World Cup campaign, praising the Manchester City defender’s leadership qualities and emphasising his influence.

Walker has 67 caps and, at 32, is perhaps nearing the winter of his international career. He can operate on the right of a defensive three but faces competition from Reece James, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Kieran Trippier at right-back if Southgate goes with his preference of a back four in Qatar. The manager was asked about leaders within his squad and, unprompted, spoke of Walker in terms that suggested he will be hard to dislodge from any starting XI.

“You notice players maturing,” he said. “For example Kyle Walker, who isn’t captain of his club but is such a man within the group, on the pitch, off the pitch and I think he’s matured a lot over the last two or three years. He’s won the league four times so he’s got confidence from what he’s done as a player. He’s been in a World Cup semi-final with us and a European final, so he’s got a lot of big-match experience.”

Although his competitors are up to a decade younger, Walker’s speed and athleticism have not waned. He was England’s most impressive starter in last week’s draw against Germany, playing at right-back, and Southgate pinpointed a moment from that night as an example of his qualities.

“He doesn’t have to be really vocal but [it’s] his manner, his determination in the way he works,” he said. “There was a chance Germany had where Trippier got up at the far post and defended it really well but if you look at Walker, his desire to stop the cross, it means the guy’s got to loft it rather than just be able to whip it in.

“They are little things that the majority of