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BSP-11
HEALTH-VIRUS-FBL-ENG-PR
Man City’s Walker says he is being ‘harassed’ after admitting lockdown
breaches
LONDON, May 8, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – Manchester City’s Kyle Walker says he is
being “harassed” after admitting he breached coronavirus lockdown rules to
visit his sister and parents.
The defender was forced to issue an apology last month after media reports
that he had hosted a party at his home.
But Walker has hit back at the latest stories, insisting that he is being
targeted and that the ongoing controversy is affecting his family’s health.
In a statement on his official Twitter feed, Walker wrote: “I have recently
gone through one of the toughest periods of my life, which I take full
responsibility for.
“However, I now feel as though I am being harassed.
“This is no longer solely affecting me, but affecting the health of my
family and my young children too.”
Walker admitted contravening coronavirus regulations again by visiting
Sheffield to see his sister and his parents — for which he could be fined
and cautioned by police.
“In relation to the events on Wednesday, I travelled to Sheffield to give
my sister a birthday card and present, but also to speak to one of the few
people I believe I can trust in my life,” he said.
“She hugged me to remind me that she cares and that I am loved. What am I
meant to do — push her away?
“I then travelled to my parents’ house to pick up some home-cooked meals.
Again, it’s been an extremely tough couple of months for them.”
He criticised the media for invading the privacy of his family, saying he
constantly felt he was being followed.
Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish was forced to apologise in March after
breaching lockdown rules, while Everton strongly criticised Moises Kean for
hosting a party last month.
Walker said the response to his actions had been disproportionate, raising
mental health concerns and saying his family had been “torn apart” by the
continuing scrutiny.
BSS/AFP/MRU/1820hrs