Walker acknowledged his mother Tracey provided the “caring support” he needed and it took him a long time to win over his father with how he played on the pitch.
“Sometimes it was very, very tough to get in that car, my mum 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’.
“After a couple of years at City. I think he was then like ‘you know, he actually can play football’.”
Walker said he does “not do the same” with his own children in terms of critiquing their performances, although he does tap into some aspects of his father’s parenting style.
“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.”
Download and listen to the full version of the latest You’ll Never Beat Kyle Walker podcast on BBC Sounds.
Read More: Kyle Walker: England and Manchester City defender says tough love of father made him elite
