4 days ago
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Kyle Walker has paid tribute to Manchester City after completing a £5m move to Burnley.
The 35-year-old has joined the Clarets on a two-year-deal following a six-month stint at AC Milan.
He will reunite with Scott Parker, having played alongside him for two years at Tottenham.
Walker's move to the Turf Moor comes after he failed to be part of City's squad for the FIFA Club World Cup, alongside fellow England international Jack Grealish, and had been looking for a new club.
In a lengthy Instagram video, Walker thanked all those associated with City, including the owners, manager Pep Guardiola as well as supporters.
The defender said: 'Seven-and-a-half years, a truly amazing, fantastic, wonderful and special place that will remain truly in my heart forever.
Kyle Walker has paid tribute to Manchester City after his departure from the club on Saturday
The 35-year-old has completed a £5million move to Burnley after eight years at the Etihad
Walker thanked City fans, owners and Pep Guardiola after an illustrious time at the club
'I feel what we have achieved as a team, a club, and organisation, a family, that's not just obviously the players and the staff but you as fans have been absolutely incredible.
'The ups, the downs, the good times, the bad times, the treble, the centurions, the formidables, the four-in-a-row. You name it, we've kind of done it and I feel that I wanted to say thank you to each and everyone associated with Manchester City.
'From Khaldoon,to Txiki and obviously the manager, you've truly left a special place in my heart forever and I will be fully in debt, grateful for what you made me not just experience, but my family and the good times we shared on the pitch and off the pitch, and especially when we won trophies i always enjoyed.
'I just wanted to say thank you to the lads, the group of players that I've been with past and present, it's been an absolute honour. Been very very fortunate to play with some legends of the game but there is still top top legends there at the club, top players at the club and I believe that you can carry on keep achieving what we've achieved over the last number of years. it's kind of not a farewell but a see you soon.
'Thank you once again to the fans, thank you to everyone who was associated with it from 2017 to this present day. My chapter is moving somewhere different. it's a little bit of a different challenge but one I'm really looking forward to andyou know it attacking really.'
Walker enjoyed an illustrious career at the Etihad, winning a staggering six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, four League Cups, the UEFA Super Cup and the Club World Cup.
At City, Walker not only won these 15 trophies and made 319 appearances, but also cemented himself as one of the greatest right backs in Premier League history.
But his spell in Milan was less successful.
AC Milan they did not take up the option to make the deal for Walker permanent
His Italy switch came amid family drama off the pitch, with Walker fighting for his marriage with the mother of four of his children, Annie Kilner, after also fathering two kids with his influencer ex-mistress Lauryn Goodman.
After a bright start to life in the country's fashion capital - going unbeaten in his first three starts - Walker's form drastically dipped as Milan finished a surprisingly low eighth place in the league.
The Italian press reacted harshly to his spell in Serie A, with Tuttosport even claiming that failure has the face of [Kyle] Walker' in a brutal assessment of his career in the country.
He becomes Burnley's fifth signing of the window.
Winger Loum Tchaouna joined from Lazio this week with defender Axel Tuanzebe, left-back Quilindschy Hartman and goalkeeper Max Weiss having already joined Parker's men following promotion to the Premier League.
However, they remain in talks to sell goalkeeper James Trafford to Newcastle United.
