It is a comparatively short journey from Sheffield to Northampton, about 100 miles down the M1. It is a much greater leap if you are an 18-year-old from the Lansdowne Estate, Sheffield.
Kyle Walker had only just passed his driving test and had never driven on a motorway before Sheffield United sent him on loan.
‘It was a massive opportunity,’ he says. ‘Sheffield United were in the Championship and Northampton in League One. Stuart Gray the manager gave me the opportunity.
A young Kyle Walker pictured during his loan spell at Northampton Town in December 2008
‘I can remember driving down with my mum and dad. They were in the front car and I had to follow them in mine, because I’d never driven on a motorway before.
‘They came in and watched me train. [Adebayo] Akinfenwa was there, Leon Constantine. I was thinking: “These guys are going to think I’m a kid with my mum and dad!”
Like drop-off on the first day at school?
‘Exactly. I think I only played nine games there. But those nine games, some of those players depend on winning and that can be their mortgages. It was a massive learning curve.’
It all starts somewhere. Increasingly for England’s World Cup stars it is no longer in some gilded academy of an elite club.
Even for Harry Kane, it was Orient on loan; for John Stones, Barnsley; for Jack Butland it was Birmingham City. For Walker, like defensive partner Harry Maguire, it was Sheffield United and the Lansdowne Estate.
Walker is now one of the most respected right backs in world football. Briefly last summer he was the world’s most expensive defender at just over £50million and Gary Lineker was tweeting with incredulity at the notion. He was hardly alone. ‘As players you don’t put a price tag on your head. It wasn’t down to me. It was down to the chairmen,’ said Walker.
‘For me, there was a little bit of proving people wrong because we all can see the transfer market did go a little bit crazy in the end.’
England will hopefully benefit from the City factor. Stones, Raheem Sterling and Fabian Delph all join up as Premier League champions. The photo of Walker, Stones and Sterling sat on the pitch enjoying their moment with the trophy spoke volumes.
Walker, John Stones (centre) and Raheem Sterling (right) celebrate their Premier League win
We might all have been sceptical about the combined £147m spent. They were having the last laugh.
‘Me and John were saying in the first week of training: “Imagine driving down Princess Parkway [in Manchester] actually being Premier League champions.” And we did it. We’re all close, especially the English lads. We all have each other’s backs through good and bad so that was a photo just to say: “We’ve done it as friends”.’
What has been fascinating to watch is Walker playing the Pep Guardiola full back model, often cutting inside to supplement midfield. Previously he looked a quick, dashing full back who lacked that nuance.
Now he looks like a footballer tutored by a footballing professor, which has contributed to Gareth Southgate’s decision to start him on the right side of a back three. ‘I did play central defence for Sheffield United in my second game,’ he said. ‘I had Chris Morgan to the side of me — which was helping a lot — and if I did anything wrong I’d be sure to find out about it.
‘It was Hull away and Caleb Folan was playing up front. He was a classic target man like Morgs. [So it was:] “You please go and head that! And I’ll sweep up behind”.’
Chris Morgan consoles Walker in 2009 after Sheffield United are beaten in the play-off final
However, learning when to fly down the wing and when to cut inside in a Guardiola team hasn’t come easily. ‘It’s through hours of training, learning the position.’
With England in a back three, he has to apply some restraint.
‘I was getting the urges to go forward because I wanted to go and express myself up there. But you have to think about the team and if that’s what the manager wants, you have to obey by his rules and go by those instructions.’
Yet he still sees himself as a provider from wide. ‘I’ve said before to Harry [Kane]:”‘I’d rather set you up and you score the winner in the World Cup final than score it myself”.’
Walker hasn’t been a natural interviewee. ‘I tried to stay away from it for a bit,’ he concedes.
But there is a considered quality and maturity in what he says. He played in the 2016 Iceland debacle.
‘That was a difficult one to take but the whole vibe around the place now is completely different.
‘We just need to concentrate on ourselves. We just need positive energy and let’s go and express ourselves, because a number of the lads do that at club level.
‘Let them just go and play football like they do in the park.’
Right back Walker listens intently as Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola delivers instructions