Burnley & Wolves stars facing 2026/27 situation that was unpredictable in 2024 | OneFootball

Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier were part of England's squad in 2024, and they will be battling for promotion with Burnley and Wolves next season.

England are looking to win their first World Cup since 1966, with Thomas Tuchel tasked with trying to end 60 years of pain for the Three Lions.

The German has caused a lot of debate over the squad he picked to take to the USA, Canada and Mexico tournament, with the likes of Harry Maguire, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Cole Palmer and Phil Foden just some of the big names left out.

As well as that, there have been debates over particular positions, with Tuchel’s decisions at full-back attracting particular scrutiny.

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Lewis Hall and Luke Shaw will join Alexander-Arnold in watching on this summer, so Tuchel is likely to face serious questions if England do underwhelm on the big stage.

Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier have gone from England regulars to the Championship

That is an area of the pitch that has seen a lot of changes for England in recent years, with Kieran Trippier and Kyle Walker having been regulars under former boss Gareth Southgate.

The latter was arguably one of the standout right-backs of his generation, having won every domestic trophy with Man City, as well as the Champions League, with Walker representing England on 96 occasions.

He was a reliable performer for his country, with Walker’s pace and ability to defend one vs one ensuring he made himself the main man at right-back over the years.

Meanwhile, Tripper won over 50 caps for England, and his ability to play at left-back meant he was sometimes in the same XI as Walker, and Southgate trusted both former Spurs players.

Trippier's high point undoubtedly came in the 2018 World Cup, when a stunning free-kick gave England the lead in the semi-final against Croatia, which they would go on to lose.

So, the duo were important figures under the previous regime, and they were both part of the squad at Euro 2024.

Walker played every game as England reached the final, with Trippier featuring in six as Southgate’s side fell at the final hurdle when they were beaten by Spain.

Burnley and Wolves will benefit from the experience of Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier in Championship promotion race

As if to highlight how quickly things can change in football, in the space of two years, Walker and Trippier will have gone from one game of helping England to Euro 2024 glory, to playing in the Championship.

Of course, the EFL is nothing new for the duo, as Walker started out at Sheffield United, and he also had loan spells at Northampton and QPR that were key to his career progression.

As for Trippier, he had a temporary spell with Barnsley, before making his name at Burnley, who he won promotion with in 2014, which was the last time he played at this level.

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With Walker having not featured in the Championship since the 2010/11 season, it demonstrates just how impressive their respective careers have been.

Nevertheless, it also shows that Burnley and Wolves will be big beneficiaries of their experience this season.

At 36, Walker is no longer the player he was, but his defensive nous means he will be able to cope on the pitch. Trippier, who is a year younger than his former England teammate, was playing for Newcastle in the Champions League last season, so you would expect him to adapt with relative ease as well.

But, it’s not just on the pitch where the two players will help Burnley and Wolves.

The 2026/27 Championship is shaping up to be one of the best we will see, and there will be pressure on Burnley, Wolves and West Ham to bounce back straight away given the resources they have.

Therefore, having players like Walker and Trippier will help the Clarets and the Black Country outfit in dealing with that pressure.

They are likely to be key figures in the dressing room, and the experience they can call on will be so helpful to teammates when the pressure builds during the run-in, as well as maintaining high standards on a day-to-day basis.

When the duo were part of the England squad that was one game from glory against Spain in 2024, few would’ve envisaged they would be in the Championship just two years later.

But, that’s the situation they find themselves in, and Walker and Trippier will have big roles to play as they battle for promotion with Burnley and Wolves.