Kyle Walker previews England's quarter-final match with France – watch in full
England hold a news conference ahead of Saturday's quarterfinal match with France. Subscribe to Guardian Football ► http://is.gd/GuardianFootball The Guardian publishes independent journalism, made possible by supporters. Contribute to The Guardian today ► https://bit.ly/3uhA7zg Sign up to the Guardian's free new daily newsletter, First Edition ► http://theguardian.com/first-edition Website ► https://www.theguardian.com Facebook ► https://www.facebook.com/theguardian Twitter ► https://twitter.com/guardian Instagram ► https://instagram.com/guardian The Guardian on YouTube: The Guardian ► https://bit.ly/guardiannewssubs Guardian News ► https://bit.ly/guardiannewssubs Guardian Australia ► https://bit.ly/guardianaussubs Guardian Sport ► https://bit.ly/gdnsportsubs Guardian Live ► https://bit.ly/guardianlivesubs Walker KyleWalker England EnglandPressConference EnglandFrance
Transcript
around as many as possible just raise your hand less and when you have a question use the microphone available and state your name and the organization you work for will start as ever with Rob Dorset from Sky Sports News hey Colton nice to see you are you okay um you've won four Premier League titles you've won an FA Cup you've played in the Champions League final this is a quarterfinal in a World Cup against the reigning world champions how does that compare it's pretty special isn't it yeah to play in a qualifying Another World Cup is always going to be special I think it's obviously a little bit more special when it's against France the the reigning world champion so um it's going to be a very tough game which we know um and we're fully waiting for you know with excitement you'll almost certainly have the responsibility of marking killing mbappe um who a lot of people feel is the best player in the world right now but you've got up against him in the past for City against PSG in the Champions League how do your experiences against him in the past help you when you're trying to prepare for for a battle like that obviously it's always going to help because I've played against him you know a number of times now as you just said with Manchester City and PSG um that just as well as what you've just said is a fantastic player in great form um so it's not going to be an easy task but it's one that you know as a professional footballer you want to play against the best and as you just said I think he's you know one of the best if not the best in the world at the minute you've regularly played as a center-back um in a back five with England and you've played just as often as a right back in a four um talk to me about the kind of pros and cons of each and how you have to change your performance depending on how England's set up I don't think much changes really I feel that the system that we play whether that's for Manchester City or for England um I don't really Bond forward as much as I probably used to do when you know I was playing for Tottenham as a wing back for example so it's about reading the the game reading the opponent um reading the the formation that the manager wants you to to play in and adapt into that really and it's a team game it's not solo game so I do whatever the manager asks and what's going to benefit the team thank you thank you hi Carl Alex BBC um do you understand the focus on the on your battle with mbappe and how would you deal with the pressure of that do I understand the focus of course I do I play football so I do understand what I need to do and that's obviously to stop it and it's probably easier said than done but I don't underestimate myself as we've just said there we've I've played him before um and I've come against a lot of great players you know in my time playing for England and also Man City and the clubs that I played for um so I have to treat it as another game I have to take obviously Extra Care and give him the respect he deserves but not too much respect because he's also playing England and you know we can cause them problems okay it's um he said it's going to be a tough game but not one player makes a team from the outside looking and we speak about it all the time is it something you speak about as players when there's so much focus on a particular battle no I think the game's not England being bappy the games England be France as I just said there we we take respect that he's a good player and good form at the minute but I'm not going to roll out a red carpet for him in time to go and score you know and represent my country at a quarter final of the World Cup so still or die really you know if we if we lose we go home and you know he's not going to stand in my way and hopefully winning you know a World Cup for my for my country I've seen your teammates at Man City mess around with your FIFA card before about about your pace who do you think is quicker uh we'll hopefully see on Saturday if I'm chosen um who knows oh thanks Kyle Isaac here from citizen Kenya basically knockout tournament gonna be very tight and close uh the three lines have waited for so long since 1966. do you think the current squad has what it takes to bug the title after such a long wait how do you rate your chances heading into the quotas we have to as I just said there we have to back ourselves we have to be confident in the the plays that we've got the players that have been nurtured over the last you know four years of each of the semi-final in the World Cup uh reaching a final in the euros and then obviously we've got to a quarterfinal okay we're not there and we've not gone past what we achieved in the last World Cup or Euros but we're on the right path in the right direction and I think with the group of squad that we've got the confidence is High um we're scoring goals we're not conceding too many um so we have to be confident but as I say you know Saturday is going to be a very tough game against a very good team it's a reigning world champions and you know we need to be um right up to speed right up to the mark and make sure that you know we're singing all from the same in sheet to collectively win this game um Steve Scott from ITV News Carl I had one more I'm happy if you don't mind um you said you've played against him several times before as a team did you come up for it with a specific plan for that did it go well and have you been using that experience to help Gareth with his strategy for the game I think when we've played them the four times in the Champions League for Manchester City and you're not just thinking about mbappe then and I think it's exactly the same on Saturday you're not just thinking about mbappe okay he's a he's a tool that they've got in their Armory that's very good but there is other good players and we can't underestimate them players that have won big titles won World Cups um so okay he's a great player we all know that that's why all the questions are about him but let's not forget Giroux who scored countless goals for France and in the Premier League dembele who's you know for me just as good on the other Wing um in a very tricky player and then you've got Griezmann and stuff like this that these can these players can call you the problem so okay we take her out of tune he's a great player but for me all the questions probably shouldn't be about him we should appreciate that we're seeing a great footballer but there is other players as well hi Kyle it's Mark man Brian's from PA just slightly away from them back paper something equally as serious can you talk to us about Dave the cat I they signed and he had a little scrap with the other cat the other night um I think they're fighting over territory into the food um but you know he's doing well and hopefully I can stick to my promise where I said that he would come home with us um if we was to win the World Cup so Dave's fine thank you for asking lucky charm hopefully hopefully hello Kyle I'm Damian for the French TV I will be very original I will talk about mbappe do you know what he said about you last year in France football did you hear about that no he said that you are one of the rare players that made him suffer how do you feel about what he said it's nice to hear obviously from a good player that he's had a good game against a tough game against me I I don't know how to to say it even more that I feel that he's a top player I'm not underestimating that one bit but we're not playing tennis it's not a solo sport it's a team gaming I'm sure you're aware that he takes a team you know to win a game of football okay one individual moment come win can win you a match but you know from what we've seen here it's 90 plus their extra time which has been a lot and you know anything can happen in that so um again you know they have to worry about us it's not just us worrying about them and one more question because we have mbappe a young talented player but you English people have a lot of young talented players like decline rice like bouquet Osaka like foden like others can you tell us something about this new generation because they are like an old guy with these guys can you tell us about these young players I think he's he's great for the English game um as you just mentioned a few there with you know Jude being one of them that have come onto the scene and kind of you know they've had this courage to play for England that probably many of us didn't have when we was that age where it's no fear it's fearless and they go in you know experience Express himself I feel that we have to pay a big you know compliment to the manager for him allowing us to do that and him allowing these youngsters to have the chance of going Express themselves but I think it's also to them and their dedication to the game and how they want to you know obviously be the best that they can be as a footballer okay to James out of here hi Kyle James Ollie from ESPN um you're only 32 so this might be a premature question but have you thought about your International future at all is there a possibility this might be your last tournament with England no I'm um I'm a guy that takes a game at a time um I don't really look towards the future um I can assure you now that I will go for as long as possible as long as I feel that it's right for myself you know my family and also for the nation and if the manager thinks that's right um I feel really fit I feel strong I feel energetic I still you know want to achieve things that I've already achieved and I'll and I still haven't achieved in football um in the hunger's still there so I feel great it's not going to happen you know anytime soon but as again who knows in the future what what will happen it's going to come to an end one day isn't it there's you the way from the way you're talking you think in 2024 is very realistic 2024 I'm 34 um as long as I'm performing well and I feel good in my body and the manager wants to pick me first and foremost then we'll see but as again I'm really not thinking you know too far into the future and that's not to you know bypass your question it's more you know game at a time which is on Saturday and then we'll look and see what happens from there on thank you thank you I had a question I was looking at the statistics and I noticed that England has much more possession than in the previous tournament like 10 points more than in Russia and 14 points more than in the euro is it something the coach has asked you to work on and second does it make it easier for people like you come from a club like Manchester City where possession is an important uh Target in the game I feel why we've got more or less is maybe down to the tactics that we played a five um in the Euros in the world cup so maybe we can control the ball a little bit a little bit better and we've got more men further up the field with attacking mines um you know does it does it help me personally of course I'm used to playing you know with Man City and Pepin he he does like to keep the team and plus the other teams to to death really so listen we try and play in our own way but I think that we also have to take into consideration the manager's ideas here he's got different ideas uh to pep in you know he'll do what he feels is best for for the nation and getting the three points Global from Brazil uh we know that you had played with Google lohis in Totten and hurricane is still plays with him do you know any secrets to beat him and what do you do think a hurricane has any secret for that um if I told you the secret won't be a secret so I'm going to keep the secret with me um I feel that obviously Harry and I have both played with him Eric Dyer have played with him you know for a number of years and how we all know what to do um when he comes into that position but also Hugo will know what Harry's going to do so I think it's a little bit of Cat and Mouse um the main thing is for us is to get this Victory we desperately want it I think as a nation we've worked really hard in the last four years to achieve what we want to achieve and now as you can see all these people here because you know it's going to be a fantastic game and I think that's credit to you know to both nations with what they've achieved over the years Carl David hornstein from the athletic I hope you're playing tomorrow on Saturday after all the mbappe questions um Declan rice missed training today is he going to be okay from what you know is it just a minor illness or is there a doubt of him I honestly didn't know until he was doing the the pre-acting the gym um I still don't know because I haven't spoke to the lads I just wondered where he was so maybe it's a medical issue I'm not too sure um maybe ask the doctor he'll be able to tell you something you mentioned the other tournaments [Music] um semi-finals in 2018 Euros final you've been involved in all of them as one of the more senior players do you assess this group as having the best chance of winning the trophy compared to the previous two major tournaments um I don't know actually because I feel that the the standard of players has probably gone up another level in this tournament um I'm not saying that Russia was a bad standard but I feel that was as a team was a little bit inexperienced in big game matches okay we we're not a few walls down in Russia we've you know winning a penalty shoot out and and stuff like that but we still was an experience we got to the semi-final we scored early we didn't really know how to handle that um so I think we're more equipped but I do think that the players for the other teams I mean you look at Morocco for example how well they played against a very very good Spain team and went and got the result that um they wanted and I feel that you know you've had a few surprises with Japan and stuff like that in this world cup so I feel that there's um the standard of plays is going to put probably a little bit more than than Russia and just quickly if you don't mind obviously you had a day off yesterday and we've seen all the fun and games around the camp but is there a palpable feeling now with France coming quarter-final do or die as you say that there's a change in atmosphere in the in the camp a greater seriousness a bit less larking around which is a good thing and a bit more this is it now I don't think there's there's ever been that I mean it's a bit cliche for me to say that we don't have a laugh and we of course we have a laugh and a joke but when you train your training you work hard um you make sure that you you get the details in that you need to know and then when you've got your free time it's free time you know you need to make sure that it's a relaxed camp that no one's really listening no offense to the outside noise and anything like that and we we just concentrate on ourselves you know it's it shows that we're gonna have to walk over that white line on Saturday and hopefully get the the victory but you know we need you guys as the media the fans that are going to be traveling over and you know they've been fantastic singing for us um you know you're the 12th man to hopefully make us go and get the victory that we want hi Carl James Robson AP um you've probably spent what the past five years or so at Club level always been the favorites you know no matter what who City play um maybe to the outside England would be just about underdogs in in this in this match how would that affect the way you go into it I don't think it changes um for the favorites we're not the favorites it's a game of football I think you've seen in this world cup what can happen in 90 plus minutes you know there's been a few upsets a few teams thinking that they're going to go out early doors and you know they managed to string a couple of good results together and that's what we just have to think it's another game I just keep saying we take our half to them they're the world champions they got the respect that they deserve because they won the last World Cup but I can assure you that each and every one of us whether it's the 11 that sought in other people that come on will not be rolling the red carpet out for him to go and perform and think it's a theater for them to Showcase their great talent you know we've also got great talent that I think that we need to be speaking about as well the goals that we've scored the clean sheets that we've kept um and we just move forward with that you don't see yourself as underdogs at all say again sorry you don't see yourself as underdogs at all as well I see yourself playing the world champions and I see two very good teams that are going to go toe-to-toe I don't see no outright favor or you know underdog okay we've got four lined up starting gentleman here hi Kyle hi myself from the Dutch Telegraph I come from a country where managers have always thought that uh attacking football uh is the best for our country Louis how's doing the opposite now he says we have to be uh a counter-attacking team if we want to win something at the same time I feel as if your team is probably more attacking a more attractive than any other time for many years would you agree and how do you look at this situation of whether you can attack or not in a World Cup um I feel that we've got great players and I think we've got great players that can come off the bench and affect games which they've done and I think that's full credit to we'll say the likes of Marcus Russia do come off off the bench and you know score the goal Jack Grill issues come off the bench and scored a goal the players that have started you know the Kyle's being on fire Phil scoring goals Harry's got his goal now and so we've got goals coming from all end of the field now me as a Defender I want clean sheets you know I'm fantastic if you go and get goals but if we scrape through and win a one nil and I know that you know the back four the back five of talking and you know made sure that we we get that clean sheet that's the that's my main concern if you know not conceding goals but as you say it's a it's a great bunch to be in I can tell you in training it's tough mocking some of these guys but you want to play against the best in the world and I think we've got some of them you know in that change room across the road hi Kai here Vincent from French media I have two questions for you the first one would be do you think there's a special rivalry between France and England even today and the second one would be about Hugo Loris what do you think about him as a person and as a goalkeeper thanks I think France and England have always been a great game and a great battle um I remember watching you know France and England when I was growing up and it's always been you know a great match I think you're going to get another one come Saturday um as for for Hugo he was my captain at Tottenham uh I remember when he signed Wendy was Brad friedel and net and Hugo come from Leon um and he's always been a great professional and a great Captain so I have nothing but good words to say for for Hugo but I mean if he's watching I hope you don't have the best of games on Saturday because you know I want a win and I want to take my nation through hi Carl I'm Roman from National world there's this perception dial when you play big games or when England play big games they play with the handbrake on five at the back and then try to catch up teams it happened against Italy in the Euros final is this the perfect opportunity to go out there and boss the world champions and play to your ultimate limit I think it's a great opportunity to put a stamp down and to say that we are a good team and we can achieve you know great things and I think that it will ultimately give us the belief that we can actually go on and win this not saying that we don't believe but to be a big team like France in a quarter-finals match i