It started with a brainwave in a heatwave.
Last month, in the restless early hours of a stifling morning – and with his club in the midst of a heavy recruitment drive for their forthcoming Mission Impossible – a senior Burnley executive had what he initially felt was a random thought: ‘What about Kyle Walker?’
It was not as daft as it sounded. Turf Moor is not the San Siro and Burnley is definitely not Milan. But the 35-year-old, for all his six Premier League medals, 96 England caps and reputation as one of the best defenders of his generation, was effectively seeking new employment after being told by a grateful Manchester City that he could leave after a loan spell in Italy.
Despite the fact that Walker is beyond his peak years, few would have seen a move to the top-flight newcomers as little more than a flight of fancy. But if you don’t ask, you don’t get. After an initial query to his agent, calls followed to manager Scott Parker and chairman Alan Pace, and a pitch was drawn up.
Location was an obvious one. A move to Burnley would allow Walker, whose personal life issues have been well-reported, to remain in the north-west, close to his family.
But what was not necessarily known outside of this pocket of East Lancashire was that this was an environment well known to the player thanks to the fact his son plays for the Clarets’ academy.
Kyle Walker has swapped Manchester and Milan for Burnley, in a £5million move
Walker brings not only 96 England caps but also 15 major trophies at Manchester City including the 2023 Champions League
Walker would be well aware of the facilities at the club and their impressive, state-of-the-art training centre, to which he has been a regular visitor. The offer of Premier League football and a challenge of a different kind to a serial winner was also something they believed they could use to their advantage.
Walker wants to be the 11th man to reach 100 England caps and there is a World Cup at the end of the season. Another guarantee they could make, which raised a wry smile, was that he was likely to be busy over the forthcoming nine months.
By spending the forthcoming season with a club likely to be fighting relegation, it would be unlikely that Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel would select his squad in any doubt over whether Walker could still perform at the highest level.
On the subject of England, there was a nice touch of symmetry. Walker’s first taste of action for his country was a substitute appearance in a 1-0 win over Spain at Wembley in 2011 – where he came on for non-other than Parker. The pair had also played together at Tottenham where Parker was a senior figure. The respect was already there.
And so, in an era awash with data-driven analysis, statistics and spreadsheets the approach was instigated by old school hunch, rather than number crunch.
That is not to say that they do not embrace the Moneyball approach at Turf Moor. Given the finances at play and what they are up against, they have to. But the view was that there was little need for scouting reports on this one.
That also went for the player’s history of off-the-field issues. Whatever was going on elsewhere, Walker has never let it affect his focus on the field. And while some may wonder if he has lost a yard of pace, the view within Burnley’s summer war room was that even if that was true, he would still be among the quickest in the division.
And the numbers bear that out – while he was the Premier League’s fastest player two years ago at 23.2mph, his top speed in the season just gone of 21.9mph was still joint-37th, which remains in the top seven per cent of all top-flight players.
Walker is desperate to get into England’s 100-cap club, which currently has just 10 members
He has a long-standing relationship with Burnley boss Scott Parker (left), having played together at Tottenham at the start of the 2010s
A meeting was quickly set up, at which the pitch was delivered. ‘Once Kyle met Scott I don’t think there was anywhere else he wanted to go,’ one well-placed source explained. ‘It was explained to him how important he would be, and what the club is trying to do. He was told that his experience and leadership would be vital to us.’
Walker was sold in one meeting. So impressive was Parker that he quickly agreed that, despite interest from elsewhere including Turkish giants Fenerbahce, he wanted to go to Burnley.
On the financial side, they then had to get creative. While the finer details remain confidential, it is safe to say that there is a huge incentive should Burnley avoid relegation. Walker will remain well-paid – in the region of £160,000 a week – and his arrival is testament to Pace’s ambition.
The fee was less of an issue. Burnley have a long history of dealing with their big neighbours. Should, for example, James Trafford move to Newcastle United this summer, both clubs will cash in thanks to a sell-on clause inserted when the young England goalkeeper moved from City. The relationship between the two is strong and a deal, for a reported £5million, was struck quickly.
WhatsApp messages then followed. They had done it within three weeks. Kyle Walker was a Burnley player.
The job now was to try and keep it quiet to achieve maximum impact for the grand announcement. Another operation was launched. Walker’s medical was arranged at a separate location away from the club. Medical staff were told not to wear club colours and were unaware whom the player they would be testing was until they saw him. There were raised eyebrows when they saw who was on the other side of the door.
The media behind the announcement was also shifted away from Burnley. The Clarets’ media team, recently bolstered by the arrival of new communications chief Ian Taylor from West Ham United, were told to be at Manchester Airport, where a meeting room had been set up. Often, media teams need to do their research into new arrivals and their background. There was no need to do so here.
Burnley have a history of creating unique unveiling videos. This time, Lionel Ritchie was to be the inspiration. A mock-up of the epic video to 1983 smash hit Hello was planned, with Walker to play the role of the female student who creates a clay sculpture of the legendary crooner. But there was a nervousness over whether Walker would buy into what they had planned.
Walker might have lost a tick or two from his top speed but he remains one of the fastest players in the Premier League
Walker has thrown himself into life at Burnley – no matter the past concerns about his private life, he has never let it affect him on the pitch
They need not have worried. ‘Brilliant,’ said Walker, who threw himself into the role after penning a two-year contract. While his acting skills may require some polish, there could be no faulting the effort in a clip which would go viral.
The buy-in was not limited to his entrance. ‘He immediately got the club,’ explained an insider. ‘His career has been superb, he’s played for some of the biggest clubs on some of the biggest stages but at heart he’s a working-class lad from Sheffield who knows what Burnley is about.’
He has, according to those close to the situation, been ‘a breath of fresh air’ away from the pitch, with a willingness to engage in social media output not often seen among those at the elite level.
Burnley headed to the Algarve for pre-season training on Sunday and Walker was among those on a bike ride that evening. On Monday, the group was due to have a quiz night. He has been seen swapping jokes with backroom staff and immediately appears to have made himself at home.
It feels, to those who work there, that he has been there for years. He has already joined a car pool and has reported for training earlier than was required.
There is also a serious side. Walker has quickly set about proving himself to his new team-mates. The expectation level is high. He will be expected to lead on and off the field and will be a member of the senior group which forms a link between players and management.
They are already reaping the benefits. New kit sales have seen a bump. Even the club’s most loyal followers have been taken back by the signing.
But there may well be other benefits before a ball is kicked. While it may be snobbish, there is a certain view of Burnley and of the type of calibre of player they can attract. Walker’s arrival may well smash those perceptions and open doors elsewhere.
Burnley are back in the big time after just a season away, finishing runners-up in the Championship last season
The Clarets are desperate to make it a more permanent stay in the top flight this time around
Already, agents of players you might previously have thought were out of Burnley’s reach are understood to have been in touch. Walker is thought to have been doing his bit, contacting those he knows who are looking for a move to let them know why following his lead may not be a bad idea.
At some stage this week, Walker will perform his initiation song, something he mentioned with trepidation moments after completing his medical.
‘They play in front of 65,000 every week but they still get worked up about belting out a song in front of a few team-mates and backroom staff,’ the insider added.
How it goes down remains to be seen. But as they attempt to do the opposite of that, the hope is that Walker’s arrival may soon have Burnley singing from a different hymn sheet.
