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’s third Serie A match for club AC Milan was cut short at half-time before his replacement played a huge part in the side’s winner.
The England international has started afresh in Italy after sealing an exit from Man City during the winter transfer window, amid a drop in form from the full back.
He has since made five appearances for the Italian giants – three in the league, one in the Coppa Italia and one in the Champions League – as he settles into his new life.
Walker’s less-than-stellar form is understandable, given the enormity of his late-career move which was, at least in part, motivated by a desire to get away from off-field matters in the UK.
And on Saturday when Milan invited Hallas Verona to the San Siro he was only afforded 45 minutes by combustible head coach Sergio Conceicao before he was hooked.
To add insult to injury, the defender’s replacement Alex Jimenez played a huge part in 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 have won eight of their 13 matches under the former Porto manager Sergio Conceicao
Mail Sport revealed that Walker stopped Lauryn Goodman (pictured) relocating to Italy ahead of his move to AC Milan by refusing to allow her to rent out her Sussex mansion
The result lifted the Italian giants up to seventh in the standings as they bid to claim a European qualification spot.
Walker’s most recent performance comes a day after he revealed that he left the Etihad to ‘solely concentrate on football’ after leaving his Lauryn Goodman drama behind.
Speaking to GQ, Walker said: ‘I’m not a guy that looks too far ahead. I like to take small steps at a time and that’s just how I’ve done my career.
‘So if you ask me what the game is in three weeks, I wouldn’t know because I concentrate solely on the next game. The first two weeks in Milan have been fantastic.
‘The fans have been excellent. The food is great. The weather can improve a little bit. It’s not been sunny as yet [laughs] but I’m waiting until March. I’m fully enjoying it.
‘It’s given me a new lease of life where I can just solely concentrate on football and fall back in love with the game.
‘I’m not saying that I fell out of love with the game, but to play in the Premier League against the same players after winning everything, this is something I needed to re-energise the love I have for football’.
Mail Sport revealed last month that Walker stopped Goodman relocating to Italy ahead of his move to AC Milan by refusing to allow her to rent out her Sussex mansion.
The influencer, mother of the defender’s two love children, intended to bankroll her move with the proceeds from a rental agreement, but Walker – who owns the £2.4million property – rejected the proposal.
Goodman, 33, hoped to use the money to rent a place in Milan in order for Kyle, 34, to be close to their two children Kairo, four and 16-month-old daughter Kinara.
But the England defender, via his lawyers, told Goodman renting out her five-bedroom Sussex mansion was a no-go, saying if she did want to move out, the property would have to be sold.
