The great pleasure of the World Cup in England proved that people were wrong, according to Kyle Walker | Soccer

Kyle Walker believes that England "reunited the nation" by reaching the semifinals of the World Cup and proved that his critics were wrong, the Manchester City defender nominating Gareth Southgate as the winner. a man who deserves transformation. Although Walker called the players "absolutely gutted" for missing a spot in the World Cup final, he said that they could be very encouraged by the emotions. Scenes at the end of the defeat against Croatia on Wednesday night when the English fans showed their respect for the team's performance in Russia by staying behind to cheer the players and singing their names.

"I was there in France, in Iceland," Walker said, recalling the 2-1 defeat under Roy Hodgson. "For them, singing when we see friends and families, sing our names and sing the name of the manager, it's completely different. "I think football has brought the nation together, people go to pubs and party, and that's what football should be .It's nice, we all love to play the game and the fans love to support it so it's hat for us.It is unlucky that we can not bring it home, but we hope that there will be time in the future. "

Asked what he was going to do with this World Cup, Walker replied, "I think it proves wrong, there's nothing better, when people write to you and tell you". you're not fit to wear the shirt, typing people, it's sort of like saying, Well, that's it, it's up to you. & # 39; "

" I can not tell you how proud I am to share the locker room with these players.We have all grown up looking at England and representing your country at a semi-final of a Cup of the world, there is no better feeling. "

Walker spoke of a huge change in the national vision after years of apathy and frustration -" We brought fans back in love with the English team "- and he could not not enough talk about the role that Southgate played in helping to change things by instilling in players the conviction to go out and express themselves

"The man is a gentleman; That's the best way to describe it, "said Walker about the manager. "He's been in our place, he's bringing us back massively, he knows what to say at the right time, and he makes you feel like you're the best player in the world." He gives you that confidence, and I think he must make the most of each of us.

"We are the guys who run on the field but he is the backbone of this team." He made sure that everyone was stayed together through good and bad times, and make sure our feet stay on the ground.I can not express in words the credit that he deserves for that. "

Although Walker said that there was a feeling that he was "writing in the stars so you could go to the finals and hope to do something special" when Kieran Trippier with a free kick after five minutes against the Croatia, he acknowledged that their opponents were a totally different proposition in the second half and they wish good luck in the final

Walker insisted that England would be motivated to beat Belgium on Saturday and finish third "because they made us one in the group stage", and he continued to talk about this World Cup. "I think we built a house here on a good foundation," he said. "I think that before that was probably built on sand, but now there is a good base, so we just have to build on that and make sure we build an empire."