'I've never wanted a victory so much!' - Kyle Walker makes desperate rallying cry as winless Burnley target Derby County turnaround

The situation at Burnley has reached a critical tipping point following a truly dismal period for the club. Bottom of the Championship after seven games, the Clarets sit with just three points from three draws and four defeats, while enduring a winless streak that stretches back to February 11 - a staggering 22 matches without a victory inside 90 minutes.

Walker, who joined the club in July 2025 after a brief loan spell with AC Milan, has found himself in unfamiliar territory at the bottom of the table. Speaking to BBC Radio Lancashire, the England international did not hide his frustration regarding the club's current predicament. 'I'm desperate,' Walker admitted. 'I've never wanted a victory so much because there's a lot of noise.'

Refusing to back down in the face of growing criticism, the defender made a passionate rallying cry to his teammates and supporters. 'Am I the most talented player? Definitely not. I played with many more talented players than me, but what I pride myself on is working hard and proving people wrong,' he added. 'That's what hopefully I can prove by coming out and being the voice of the players. Hopefully they're listening to this and they take this on board that I'm not laying down and I'm willing to fight all the way to the very end.'

As one of the most senior figures in the dressing room, Walker is acutely aware of his responsibility to inspire his teammatesKyle Walker discusses Burnley's Championship crisis and his desperate desire for a win against Derby County after a 22-game winless run.. The former Manchester City star, who lifted 17 trophies at the Etihad - including the iconic 2023 Treble - prior to his July 2025 move to Turf Moor, is determined to use his vast experience to drag Burnley out of their current slump, having featured in six Championship matches so far this term.

The transition from the elite environment of the Etihad Stadium to a relegation-threatened side has been a culture shock for the defender. Reflecting on the differences between his former and current employers, Walker noted: 'I've probably not experienced this ever. It's a different dressing room to what I was in at City where everyone kind of marshalled themselves. You didn't have to really rile people up to get them a game of football out of them. They had their own standards and they set their own bars to then go and achieve certain things. I think that's why they're at Manchester City and why Manchester City were so successful because we had a great manager.'

Walker was a cornerstone of Pep Guardiola's dominant City side, though his relationship with the manager eventually soured - leading to a loan spell with Italian giants AC Milan before his return to England with Burnley. Despite that rift, the defender remains full of praise for the uncompromising professional standards that defined his time in Manchester.

Despite the lack of results at Burnley, Walker was quick to defend the character of his current teammates, insisting that the squad remains united despite their position in the standings. 'I think even if Pep wasn't there we would have gone on and achieved a lot of things as well because we had a great team and a great togetherness within that. I'm not saying that the togetherness is not within Burnley because it completely is, it's a great bunch of lads.'

Burnley face a crucial fixture against Derby County on Saturday - a side also struggling near the foot of the table in 22nd place with just four points - which represents their final chance to secure three points before a three-week hiatus caused by the extended international break. Walker is honest about the psychological impact that the result will have on the squad during their time away from the pitch.

'I think you can look at it in two ways. You win on Saturday and you want to keep going then, don't you?' Walker said. 'You're losing, you're kind of thinking, thank God the international break's coming, you can kind of go back to the drawing board and start again. It's a bit weird for me because I've never experienced this in my career where I'm saying that I want this international break to come, good or bad.'