The stars appear to be aligning for Gareth Southgate’s England team at Euro 2024.
A stunning last-minute goal, a penalty shootout winner and a dubious penalty decision helped Southgate’s Three Lions progress to the finals of this tournament, although the football was at best cautious, at best.
But if winning has become a constant theme for England, so has vice-captain Kyle Walker’s pre-match ritual, evidenced in all five games before Wednesday’s semi-final triumph.
And it proved true again as Walker set to claim his 89th England cap with a 2-1 victory over the Netherlands, a victory that put his side in the history books to reach their first final on foreign soil.
The Manchester City full-back, 34, has repeatedly shown that his children with wife Annie Kilner, 30, are his top priority by making the ‘R’ symbol – the first letter of his four children’s names – with his finger at every match.
if winning has been a constant theme for England, so has the pre-match ritual of vice-captain Kyle Walker, who appeared in five games before Wednesday’s semi-final victory.
The back has repeatedly demonstrated that his children with wife Annie Kilner are his top priority by making the ‘R’ symbol – the first letter of their four children’s names – with his finger.
Explaining the reasoning behind the move, a source told MailOnline: “He always makes sure he agrees with his family traveling to support him and the whole squad from home for every game.
‘The boys follow his every move and are proud of their Dad. It made him realize that he was there.’
Walker and Kilner are parents to sons Roman, 11, Riaan, seven, Reign, five and newborn Rezon, whom the couple welcomed in April.
The pair are trying to save their marriage after Walker admitted having a daughter, now ten months old, with influencer Lauryn Goodman, 33, out of wedlock.
Walker is also the father of Goodman’s four-year-old son, Cairo, after she became pregnant in 2020, while he was briefly separated from Kilner.
The source added: “Annie has been an amazing mother and family, despite everything, and she knows this and wants to make sure she knows she sees and appreciates her.
‘He will miss the lads a lot while in the England camp but is very proud to be part of a strong squad who now look like they can bring the trophy home.’
The decorated footballer, who is playing in his fifth consecutive tournament with England, is also father to son Cairo, four, and ten-month-old daughter with influencer Lauryn Goodman.
“He always makes sure he enjoys his family traveling to support him and the whole squad from home for every game,” a source told MailOnline.
Walker entered the stands to be with his family after Wednesday evening’s 2-1 win over the Netherlands in Dortmund
Kilner gave birth to her fourth child in April, with Walker by her side during the birth.
The past few months have been a rollercoaster after she discovered she had a second child with Goodman. The footballer then moved out of his Cheshire home in January.
The influencer was accused of intentionally creating a public feud with Walker after he reportedly missed his son Cairo’s fourth birthday.
England’s quarter-final win over Switzerland in Düsseldorf on July 6 was overshadowed by Goodman’s latest social media activity as Kilner and his children watched from the stands.
Southgate’s men qualified for their third semi-final under his management after beating the Swiss side on penalties.
But Kilner appeared less than impressed after Walker, having earned his 88th cap for England, was reunited after the match at Düsseldorf’s Merkur Spiel-Arena.
Sources have since claimed that the mood soured after Goodman shared a photo of their two children dressed in English ‘Daddy’ clothes.
An insider told MailOnline: ‘Insiders in the British camp say they are fed up with the noise Lauryn has made.’
The 34-year-old made an ‘R’ symbol with his hands – the initials of his children and Kilner.
The pair had a chilly reunion in the stands after England’s epic penalty win over Switzerland in the quarter-finals
Lauryn Goodman, Walker’s ex-mistress, has shared her constant social media content surrounding the competition and posted a photo of her two children wearing English ‘Daddy’ outfits.
Sources claim the England camp are tired of Goodman’s constant interference (pictured: Walker and Kilner after England’s quarter-final win on July 6)
“He knows that Annie and Kyle have tried to deal with the situation in a private and sensible manner for all the children involved, but they continue to pull stunts like it’s horrible about the fact that they’re going to the Euros.
‘This is something we have had to do for the last four years.
‘Kyle is desperate to protect Annie and the boys, whatever happens between them as a couple in the future, they agree that this is a priority.
‘And a big part of that is protecting it from media speculation and circuses around the situation.’