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<\/p>\nKyle Walker sees this replay of the Euro 2020 final against Italy as \u201cpayback time\u201d. The bigger picture tells him it is paying it forward that has finally put England on the verge of achieving the sustained success that has been sought for so long. The senior citizen is old enough to have been part of the Golden Generation but he is only now finally comfortable admitting at the same time he used to hate it.<\/p>\n
\u201cI got my call-up when I was at Aston Villa in February 2011,\u201d Walker recalled. \u201cI\u2019d been at Tottenham for six months, didn\u2019t know anyone there. I went to Aston Villa and the only person that I kind of really knew was Jack Wilshere.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had team-mates from Tottenham that were at the table across from me, I was at their team but they didn\u2019t know me because I\u2019d gone on loan to Sheffield United, QPR and Aston Villa. I didn\u2019t feel like I deserved to be there at the time, I was young, I\u2019d just come on the scene at the Premier League at the time, I\u2019d got into the England team and I probably ostracised myself rather than them not talking to me.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere were big characters there, it was tough to try to spark a conversation with the likes of Rio Ferdnand, John Terry. Now I\u2019d just go up to them and say hello but at the time you had to feel you earned that right.<\/p>\n
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\u201cSo I would hate for any of the younger ones to come up and feel they couldn\u2019t speak to any of the experienced ones. I know there\u2019s no hierarchy. There\u2019s no \u2018he\u2019s above me\u2019 or \u2018he needs to get on the treatment bed first\u2019. It\u2019s first come, first served. That\u2019s how it is.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is an environment and me being the oldest I try to put that on to anyone. If I was to see it [hierarchy], I wouldn\u2019t have it because you want to feel that it\u2019s an honour already to play for your country and you want to enjoy it, you don\u2019t want to come here and feel like it is a chore.\u201d<\/p>\n
It is why players like the injured Bukayo Saka and Jude Bellingham have been allowed to thrive and at the same time, Gareth Southgate has taken it upon himself to talk Walker out of retirement. Twice. \u201cI was 19 with Fabio Capello when I joined,\u201d Walker explained. \u201cIt\u2019s a lot of summers, it\u2019s a lot of time away from the children, it\u2019s a lot of time away from home. And I\u2019m not getting any younger.<\/p>\n
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\u201cBut I did speak with the manager and he wanted me to be a part of this team and more importantly I wanted to be a part of it. It\u2019s a special group of lads. I\u2019ve been here when it was tough to come to England.<\/p>\n
\u201cObviously to represent your country is always going to be an honour but those days when you\u2019re in the hotels and no-one talks to you, it was hard. So to come here and to share the moments that we have done with these players.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven though we have fallen short, it\u2019s been enjoyable and hopefully we can go on tomorrow night and get the point at least that we need and hopefully the win and hopefully we can go that one step further next time.\u201d<\/p>\n