Kyle Walker says he hated going to football matches with his dad Michael because of his tough-love style of parenting.
The Manchester City full back is one of the winning-most players in English football history with six Premier Leagues, one Champions League, two FA Cups and four English Football League cups.
But he's said that it wasn't until he became successful with Manchester City that his father Michael began to give him his dues as a footballer.
Walker said that, as a youngster, he'd 'reduced to tears' by his father's critiquing of his performances, though it's something he credits for making him a 'better player and person.'
The 34-year-old says his father "didn't do it because he wanted to hurt me. He did it because he cared."
Walker began his career with his home-town team Sheffield United before signing for Tottenham Hotspur in 2009. He was loaned to QPR, Aston Villa and Northampton in his early years at Spurs before nailing down a spot in the 2012 season, winning PFA Young Player of the Year.
He impressed under Harry Redknapp in the years that followed and eventually moved to City in 2017 for £53m, eclipsing David Luiz as the world's most expensive ever defender.
"I used to hate going to football with him," says Walker on his new podcast with the BBC, 'You'll Never Beat Kyle Walker.'
"No matter if I played good or I played bad, I'd get in the car and I'd be reduced to tears. He'd say I wouldn't have done this right, I wouldn't have done that right.
"Sometimes it was very, very tough to get in that car, my mum (Tracey) would be going 'Michael, leave him alone he's done well'," Walker said.
"I could have scored three goals. But he would have said, 'no, you should have scored six'.
"Only when I've got older in my career, he actually says 'all right, well played son'.
BERLIN, GERMANY - JULY 14: Kyle Walker of England walks past the trophy with his runners up medal after the UEFA EURO 2024 final match between Spain and England at Olympiastadion on July 14, 2024 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images)
Walker praised his father for teaching him 'to be a winner,' and says that while he 'does not do the same' with his own kids, he taps into certain aspects of it.
"I still feel that some of the things in life - where he's taught me to be a winner - I'm trying to embed that into the boys," he added.
"With my kids now, I don't let them win. If I keep letting them win, when they lose, it's going to be traumatic for them.
"We'll play a little game in the garden or something and I'll give it my all because I feel that it's going to install that into them."
