Kyle Walker warned over nightclub visit where he spent ‘thousands’ as ex-AC Milan striker tells him to ‘focus on football’ amid club’s struggles

Walker left the Premier League champions in January to join up with the Serie A giants and he has had a mixed start to life in Italy. When the veteran defender has not been available on the pitch, he has been spotted partying and clubbing with models. However, he has been warned by icon Paulo Di Canio to stop spending thousands in clubs and focus his efforts on helping Milan secure European football next season.

Di Canio, who was speaking exclusively to GOAL on behalf of www.footitalia.com, said: "We heard the rumours in the studio that Walker wanted to move. He’d had a chat with Tammy Abraham. I said 'Oh my god!' I hoped he would. He’s a fantastic footballer. Especially in Italy which is a low-level league compared to English football. The Italian league has a much lower tempo. You have more time and space to think and you can hold the ball more quietly. With this power, he can handle his energy. It’s a good signing because Milan has done a bad job until now. I hope he doesn’t want to leave England for some problem he may have over there. In Milan he might be in an environment where the supporters are angry with the players.

"In this city, we have a good life. You can have a life that you could’ve had in New York or London but in a small place. You have clubs, fantastic restaurants and many opportunities. You have Fashion Week in Milan."

Expanding on his insights into Walker's party life, Di Canio continued: "Maybe he will come and do a fantastic job because he’s a good footballer with fantastic talent. A few weeks ago, he had an injury and was out for two or three weeks. He did an interview saying why he’s chosen to come to Milan. He said the clubs are amazing, and you can do many things there. I read everything, all the interviews–even if I’m not their manager. It came out he’d spent a night in the club in Milan. He’d spent thousands of pounds. I hope nothing bad happened, but in Italian style, you have three weeks out. They have these nights out only to come back and prove and show their quality to help the team.

"The club is far from qualifying for the next international competitions. They’re 9th in the table. He needs to focus on his football. There are only nine games to go. It’s not the right time to do this. In the summer, I will go with him to the club! But right now, the effort needs to centre around football."

Walker has missed Milan's last two Serie A games through injury but will be hoping to have a positive impact in the remaining games as the hunt for Europe continues. Next up for the Italian giants is a trip to Udinese on Friday.