Burnley's Kyle Walker makes Man City wish ahead of emotional Etihad return

The right-back heads back to the Etihad on Saturday for the first time since swapping the blue half of Manchester for Burnley during the summer.

The 35-year-old enjoyed a trophy-laden eight-year stint with City, where he was a key part of Pep Guardiola’s side that dominated English football.

But having been booed on his return to Tottenham a few years ago, the full-back is taking nothing for granted.

“It’s going to be exciting. It’s home,” he told Sky Sports.

“Bramall Lane will always be home, that’s home-home. But home from home, it’s the Etihad because White Hart Lane isn’t there anymore. The only place I can call home apart from Bramall Lane is the Etihad.

“Burnley always has a soft spot in my heart just because of the connection I’ve got, through people, through my son [who plays for Burnley’s academy], that will always be there - apart from when I was coming through at Sheffield United and they beat us in the play-off final!

“But apart from that, I’ve forgiven them and they will always have a soft spot in my heart because of Vinny [Vincent Kompany] going there and knowing the staff members that have gone from City to there.

“But the Etihad is home and hopefully I get a nice reception. That would mean a lot to me.

“I’d like to think I will, but fans always have their opinion. I remember first going back to Tottenham and I got booed, but the year after they applauded me, so what did I do wrong?

“I wasn’t part of the team, I wasn’t part of their plans moving forward and they got a hell of a sum of money for a right-back in 2017, £52m I think. They paid £2m for me, so they made a profit of £50m.

“I didn’t really understand when they were booing me because I never said anything bad about the club, I gave everything for the club and we challenged Leicester and Chelsea in back-to-back years for the title. All of a sudden they’re booing me, but then they cheered me, so all is forgiven.

“Hopefully I get a nice reception at City.”

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It will inevitably be a strange experience for Walker to sit in the opposition dressing room and not be wearing the sky blue City kit, but the defender is fully focused on the job in hand.

“I have thought about it, but I’m a professional and I’ve got a job to do for Burnley,” he added.

“My time at City, I’ve closed that book and you move on and open another book, so this is my new journey now.

“As much as I respect all the lads, I respect the club, the fans, the chairman and the organisation, I don’t play for you anymore. I play for Burnley.

“When I step over that line, I’m representing the Burnley colours and I want to win. I will do anything to win.”

Walker’s time at City appeared to fizzle out a bit, after he spent the second half of last season on loan in Italy with AC Milan.

In hindsight, the England international admits he perhaps should have stayed and fought for his place at City, who were struggling a little bit at the time.

“Looking back at it, you think: ‘should I have gone? Should I have left and gone on loan to AC Milan?’,” he reflects.

“I was the club captain and you’re the first one in line when things aren’t going as well at the time. Should I have left? Looking back at it now, probably not. I should have stuck by my teammates, next to my friends and people I class as my family.

“But, for probably the first time in my career, I was selfish. I thought about myself and how I wanted to play football.

“I don’t see it as a bad reason that I wasn’t happy sitting on the bench and getting a game here, there and whenever I could, because I felt that I still had a point to prove and could still play football at a high level.

“When a club like AC Milan comes, I didn’t think I could turn it down knowing I was on the bench the following week.

“Whoever I’ve played with as a manager or a player, I’ve never been selfish. I’ve always put the team first. I’ve always said if I was in the World Cup final, if it was to set someone up or score, I’d set someone up. I’m in this game for the team.

“But this is the one time, if I look back at it now, that I should have dug it out with the lads rather than going on loan. But it was more to experience something different.

“I don’t regret it, because I’ve always wanted to play abroad. I experienced it, but I’m glad I did the six months at a great club in a great country, learning a different culture, meeting new people and being able to put on the famous AC Milan shirt. I didn’t feel that there were many other teams in world football you go and do that experience for.

“It didn’t go the way that I wanted to. I feel as though the results on the pitch…it was disappointing. I could have done a little bit better as well and I think everyone associated with the club would probably hold their hands up and say ‘that was a season to put behind us’.”

It was also emotional for Walker to bring his City spell to an end this summer, although his departure felt inevitable.

“It’s tough because you’re not just leaving the football, a great team and a great manager, I’m leaving friends,” he said. “That’s not even just the lads, it’s the kitchen staff, the physios, the kit men, I know them. It’s everyone.

“But I’m not just going to be a player that just sits there and accepts getting old and sitting on the bench for a top club, taking your medicine and getting a game when you can. That’s not me.

“I’d rather go somewhere I know there will be competition for places and I will go and play football.”

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