Growing up as a young boy in Tottenham, north London, one thing Kyle Walker-Peters wasn’t short of close to home was strong role models.
While his father, Dennis, had flirted with a full-time career in football, featuring in the semi-pro ranks, his two uncles on the same side of the family were household names in their own rights.
Larrington (Larry) Walker indeed was a successful actor, who appeared in shows such as Taboo and The Bill, and was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company for several years, whereas Kyle’s Uncle Phil made it as a professional footballer, representing the likes of Millwall, Charlton Athletic and Gillingham before enjoying an extended spell abroad, in Hong Kong and then Portugal.
With his mother Mary and sister Tamikah - who is 12 years his senior - leading the way as well, our No2 remembers a very happy childhood, in which he was allowed to pave his own path to where he is today.
“I spent most of my time outside with my friends when I was young,” smiled the now 28-year-old. “I was born in North Middlesex Hospital, in Edmonton, but we lived in Tottenham, and my main memories really are just of kicking a ball about and using the neighbours’ hedges as goal posts!
“I went to Greig City Academy in Hornsey, and I loved school. I loved - and still love - learning, and I always got good grades. My parents made it clear that school was important, and though there might’ve been a couple of moments of trouble with my mates, I always knew the boundaries!
“I’m very, very close to my Mum, and my sister is still someone I go to for advice. The age gap between us made it quite difficult to be really close, but I saw her do really well with her education and go on to uni, where she studied politics and Spanish. She was definitely someone I looked up to.
“The story in our family is that my parents met on the Tube, in London. I think my Dad had seen my Mum going to work a few times and eventually decided to make his move, which obviously turned out to be a good decision!
“I know my Dad was a decent footballer. He was an attacker, and he claims to have been quite skilful, and able to use both feet. I don’t really have any memories of watching him play; when I was a kid he was actually playing more tennis, because he was really keen on that, too.
“I also loved tennis, and played a lot. But my Dad - and the rest of my family - were never pushy about anything, which I really appreciate. I think they recognised that I just loved football, tennis and all sport as a young boy, and then naturally I started to pursue the career that I’ve gone on to have.”
Besides playing for local sides Winchmore Hill and Broadwater Farm as a schoolboy, and then being picked up by Tottenham Hotspur’s academy, Walker-Peters occasionally honed his skills by training with his Uncle Phil, who by that point had moved back to the UK from Portugal and set up his own soccer school in south-west London.
Though Phil sadly passed away aged just 67 in July 2022, his legacy lives on. The soccer school is still in operation today, run by his son - Kyle’s cousin - Beau, serving swathes of local children with the opportunity to maximise their potential and improve their self-belief.
Walker-Peters said: “Phil was so bubbly and funny, and all my memories of him are happy ones.
“I didn’t get to train with him loads, because I was training a lot myself at Tottenham or wherever, but I got there when I could. For me as much as anyone else, being able to learn from a former pro was really exciting, and he definitely didn’t take it easy on me just because I was family!
“He had a big impact on a lot of people, including me. I used to speak to him a lot, and he came to a few of my games. He always made it clear when he was coming, so I always felt like I had to step up, and it is nice to have sort of followed in his footsteps.”
Having been born in Parsons Green and gone to school in Battersea, Phil Walker earned his footballing stripes in non-league, at the likes of Wingate, Cobham and Epsom & Ewell, before being picked up by Millwall in late 1975. Incidentally, Kyle’s father Dennis also represented Epsom & Ewell, scoring 12 goals in 102 appearances.
With Phil signing Millwall terms alongside his Epsom & Ewell teammate and childhood friend Trevor Lee, the duo were drafted into a Lions team void of any other black players, in an era when racism was particularly rife.
Though it’s not a subject he regularly discussed with his uncle, Walker-Peters is certainly aware of the sorts of troubles Phil was forced to navigate, and credits him with helping turn the tide so that people like him were able to make their way in a different environment.
He said: “My Dad has always spoken quite openly about those sorts of issues, and I know he experienced racism himself when he was playing football. At the time it was quite normal, but it was obviously wrong and not nice.
“I think Phil’s time at Millwall must have been pretty tough, and then even further on in his career at Charlton and Gillingham in the 1970s and 1980s. My Dad always talked about the importance of the role played by my uncle and other black footballers of that time, and about how black players now wouldn’t have had as many opportunities as they do without them going through what they went through.
“Luckily, I’ve never experienced racism while playing football, and I do think that is thanks to people like my uncle. I think it’s thanks to people like him that people have been able to show that they have the same talent and value, regardless of the colour of their skin.
“Things have got a lot better, but there are obviously still issues. We saw that with what happened at the start of the season to Antoine Semenyo [who was racially abused playing for AFC Bournemouth at Liverpool], who I thought handled that particular situation perfectly.
“I think the Premier League and the FA have done a lot in terms of raising awareness and educating players about how to react to those sort of incidents, and obviously we need that to carry on going forward.”
One thing guaranteed to continue for Walker-Peters is his family’s unwavering support of his footballing endeavours, as he looks to help wrestle the Hammers up the Premier League table and ultimately earn a recall to the England national team set-up.
While proud of his mixed heritage, he represented the country of his birth throughout the youth ranks, going on to a play key role in the Young Lions’ FIFA U20 World Cup triumph in 2017 before earning his first two senior caps in March 2022.
With his debut game - a 2-1 friendly win over Switzerland at Wembley - taking place little over three months before Phil’s death, Kyle was able to share a valuable moment of reflection with his uncle over the phone, as well as with his Dad, who as usual was front and centre in the stands.
“My heritage is actually quite confusing!” Walker-Peters said. “My Mum’s family are from Antigua, and as far as my Dad’s aware he’s from Guyana and Cuba. I’ve been told I qualify to play for Jamaica, but we’re not sure where that comes from!
“My main focus is on playing for England again, because I think that is something I can achieve. Making my senior international debut was a dream come true, and I’d love to be able to add to those memories.
“I remember Phil calling me after my England debut, which wasn’t long before he died. His passing was obviously difficult, especially for my Dad, who was very close to him, but we love him loads and we’ll all continue to remember him fondly.
“My Dad was there at Wembley, as he always is. He’s my toughest critic for sure, and he always has a notepad with him. I think he’s got notes from every single game, which is kind of crazy!
“I think it’s good for me, and often I find I’m driven to try and prove him wrong! It’s all good support at the end of the day, and for me my favourite time is sitting down with my family after a game and being together. Of course, my Dad usually sits down and then opens up his notebook!”
