“We’ve won this” – Kyle Walker cites difference in silverware psyche between Tottenham and Manchester City | OneFootball

Kyle Walker has marked a stark difference in his thought-process ahead of major finals from his spells at Tottenham and Manchester City.

The Englishman, who turns 36 in May, announced his retirement from international football in an interview with Gary Neville for The Overlap released on Tuesday.

Walker was expected to challenge for a spot on the England plane to the FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico this summer but the Sheffield-born defender has paved the way for the likes of Reece James and Trent Alexander-Arnold to stake a claim for the right-back position under Thomas Tuchel.

Announcing his international retirement, Walker also lifted the lid on how Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola wined and dined him to convince the former Blues skipper to turn down a move to Bayern Munich – who had agreed a two-year contract with the defender in 2023 – and sign a new deal at the Etihad Stadium instead.

Walker joined Manchester City from Tottenham for £50 million in 2017 and the former England defender went on to win six Premier League titles and the UEFA Champions League amongst a plethora of silverware under Guardiola at the Etihad Stadium.

The 35-year-old has cited a stark difference in his mentality ahead of major cup finals between his earlier years at Tottenham to when he was part of a winning side at Manchester City.

“I played at Tottenham for a lot of my career and got to a lot of finals in cups – and we were chasing Leicester and Chelsea – and you look around the dressing room and you’re kind of searching for people that’s done it before,” Walker said in an interview with The Overlap.

In an eye-opening juxtaposition, Walker went on to compare that feeling to an innate confidence over victory when he made the move to the Etihad Stadium.

“I remember joining Man City and we played Arsenal in the Carabao (Cup final in 2018),” the full-back added. “I looked around (the dressing room) and thought, ‘We’ve won this!’

“You look at the likes of Vinny (Vincent Kompany), David Silva, (Sergio) Aguero, Kevin (De Bruyne) and you think, ‘We’re okay here!’ Lo and behold, Vinny and David score the goals (in City’s 3-0 win over Arsenal).”

Walker’s admission aligns with the difference in how Manchester City and Tottenham have fared in the last decade. While City have built a winning dynasty under Guardiola, Spurs have failed to build on their progress under Mauricio Pochettino and have gone from pillar to post to chase short-term success – now finding themselves in a relegation battle.

The chance to work with Guardiola was a huge factor in attracting Walker to the Etihad Stadium, where he spent eight seasons and captained the Blues to a record fourth successive Premier League title in his second-last season at the club.