Kyle Walker hauled off at half time by AC Milan boss Sergio Conceicao before replacement sets up game-winning goal as England star makes third league appearance for Italians since Man City switch.
- Kyle Walker has made five appearances for the Italian giants since his move
- Defender revealed move to Milan has left him to ‘solely concentrate on football’
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Kyle Walker’s third Serie A encounter for AC Milan was cut short at half-time, but his substitute played an important role in the team’s victory.
The England international has relocated to Italy after leaving Manchester City during the winter transfer window due to a decline in his performance.
He has made five appearances for the Italian giants, including three in league, one in Coppa Italia, and one in Champions League, while he adjusts to his new life.
Walker’s lackluster performance is comprehensible considering the magnitude of his late-career departure, which was driven, at least in part, by a desire to escape off-field issues in the United Kingdom.
On Saturday, Milan brought Hallas Verona to the San Siro, but head coach Sergi Conceicao barely gave him 45 minutes before hooking him.
To make matters worse, the defender’s substitute, Alex Jimenez, contributed significantly to Santiago Gimenez’s 75th-minute winner.
Kyle Walker was substituted after only 45 minutes in AC Milan’s win over Hellas Verona
Walker’s replacement Alex Jimenez (left) plated a huge role in the last winner for the home side
Milan has won eight of their 13 meetings under former Porto manager Sergio Conceicao.
Walker’s most recent performance came only one day after revealing that he left the Etihad to’solely concentrate on football’ after leaving his Lauryn Goodman controversy behind.
Walker told GQ: ‘I’m not a man who looks too far ahead. I prefer to take tiny steps at a time, and that’s how I’ve approached my job.
‘So if you ask me what the game is in three weeks, I won’t know because I’m just thinking about the next game. My first two weeks in Milan have been amazing.
‘The fans have been fantastic. The meal is excellent. The weather might improve slightly. It hasn’t been sunny yet [laughs], but I’ll wait till March. I’m completely loving it.
‘It has given me a new lease on life, allowing me to focus exclusively on football and rediscover my love for the game.
‘I’m not saying I lost love with the game, but playing in the Premier League against the same guys after winning everything was something I needed to re-energize my passion for football’.
Mail Sport claimed last month that Walker prevented Goodman from relocating to Italy ahead of his move to AC Milan by refusing to let her rent off her Sussex house.
The influencer, the mother of the defender’s two love children, planned to fund her relocation with the proceeds of a leasing agreement, but Walker, who owns the £2.4 million house, turned it down.
Goodman, 33, intended to use the money to rent a property in Milan so Kyle, 34, could be closer to their two children, Kairo, four, and Kinara, 16 months old.
However, the England defender’s attorneys informed Goodman that renting out her five-bedroom Sussex house was not an option, and that if she wanted to move out, the property would have to be sold.
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