Tuchel Set to Deny Walker Special Item Only Six England Players Have Received
Kyle Walker may be set to miss out on a huge England honour after being left out of Thomas Tuchel’s squad for the upcoming internationals.
Several high-profile players, including Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden, were left out of Tuchel’s squad for the friendly against Wales and the World Cup qualifier against Latvia.
The German also left out Jack Grealish and Adam Wharton despite their excellent form in the early weeks of the 2025/26 Premier League season.
Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson retained his spot after impressing Tuchel against Andorra and Serbia in September.
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And despite featuring in all seven of Burnley’s Premier League games so far this term, Walker also missed out.
On Monday (October 6), Reece James pulled out through injury, but instead of Walker coming back into the fold, Tuchel gave Manchester City youngster Nico O’Reilly his first senior Three Lions call-up.
Last week, Tuchel explained how he had personally spoken to several players - Wharton, Trevoh Chalobah, Foden, Grealish, Bellingham, and Curtis Jones – who had missed out on a spot in his most recent squad.
When asked if he had notified Walker, he simply replied: “No.”
It appears that Walker faces an uphill task to get back into Tuchel’s plans ahead of the 2026 World Cup, and he may face being stuck on 96 caps.
If so, he will narrowly miss out on becoming just the seventh Englishman to receive a commemorative golden cap for his contributions to the national team.
David Beckham was the first England star to receive a golden cap to mark 100 Three Lions appearances back in 2008.
Steven Gerrard, Ashley Cole, Frank Lampard, Wayne Rooney, and, most recently, Harry Kane have since received the honour.
Peter Shilton, Bobby Moore, Sir Bobby Charlton, and Bill Wright also earned 100 or more caps before the golden cap was handed out.
Walker, who has not played for England since June 2025, previously claimed that reaching 100 caps was one of his “big objectives” in November 2023.
“There are very few players that are in that bracket that have made it to the 100 club,” said Walker.
“If I can do that, I’ll be over the moon. I first started in 2010 when I got my first call-up under Fabio Capello. To still be here after all these years, I have to say, is a credit to myself for looking after myself and keeping myself in the best shape.
“Once you reach certain milestones, you’re always looking at the next one. For me, the next one is the big hundred. If I can do that, it will be something that will be very special.”
Topics: Kyle Walker, England, Thomas Tuchel, Football, Premier League
Luke Davies