England and Manchester City defender Kyle Walker says the tough love of his father helped him become an elite player.
Walker has enjoyed a glittering career at City, winning the Premier League six times as well as two FA Cups, four EFL Cups and the Champions League.
He has been capped 90 times by England and is widely regarded as one of the best right-backs in the world.
Speaking on the You’ll Never Beat Kyle Walker podcast the 34-year-old opened up on the influence his dad Michael has had on his career.
Walker said his father “made me be the person and player that I am” and at the start of his career it was about “proving my dad wrong” after he criticised his performances as a youngster.
“I used to hate going to football with him,” said Walker, who has also played for Sheffield United and Tottenham – and had loan spells at QPR, Aston Villa and Northampton.
“No matter if I played good or I played bad, I’d get in the car and I’d be reduced to tears. He’d say I wouldn’t have done this right, I wouldn’t have done that right.
“He didn’t do it because he wanted to hurt me. He did it because he cared.”
Walker acknowledged his mother Tracey provided the “caring support” he needed and it took him a long time to win over his father with how he played on the pitch.
“Sometimes it was very, very tough to get in that car, my mum would be going ‘Michael, leave him alone he’s done well’,” Walker said.
“I could have scored three goals. But he would have said, ‘no, you should have scored six’. Only when I’ve got older in my career, he actually says ‘all right, well played son’.
“After a couple of years at City. I think he was then like ‘you know, he actually can play football’.”
Walker said he does “not do the same” with his own children in terms of critiquing their performances, although he does tap into some aspects of his father’s parenting style.
“I still feel that some of the things in life – where he’s taught me to be a winner – I’m trying to embed that into the boys,” he added.
“With my kids now, I don’t let them win. If I keep letting them win, when they lose, it’s going to be traumatic for them.
“We’ll play a little game in the garden or something and I’ll give it my all because I feel that it’s going to install that into them.”