Coronavirus: Walker hopes Premier League season resumes, but says football must 'take a back step'

Manchester, April 2: Manchester City defender Kyle Walker hopes the Premier League season can resume, but said "football has to take a back step for now".

The campaign has been suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic, which has brought sport to a standstill around the world.

It remains unclear when, and if, the Premier League campaign will resume, but Walker is hoping the season can get back underway.

"Football has to take a back step for now because that is the least important thing on everyone's mind in the football world," the right-back said.

"The health of family members and other people's family members is the most important.

"But, I hope, and I am sure everybody else hopes, that football will come back and we will be able to finish off the season, but if it is not a possibility, then everyone does understand that people's health is more important than a game of sport."

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Walker discussed how City – who were second to Liverpool in the Premier League when the season was stopped – were keeping up team spirit using group chats.

But the 29-year-old revealed manager Pep Guardiola, who donated €1million to the coronavirus fight in Spain, was not in the players' chat.

"Obviously Pep is not in the group chat! I dropped him a text message last night saying hope you are OK, and I hope the family is well and fair play for donating the amount of money that you have donated," Walker said.

"That says a lot about him as a person. Put football aside, that has come from his heart and it is something that should definitely be recognised."